A Jedi in Azeroth: The Past Returns
by Ragingcyclone
Summary: While Daneel, Demira, and the rest of the new jedi on Azeroth work on their new temple and academy in Northrend, several old friends search for what happened to him and arrive on Azeroth. As they reconnect little do they know that the Burning Legion has begun plans to return, and it will be up to Daneel and the rest of the jedi to stop them from ravaging the world.
1. Prelude

**_A Jedi in Azeroth: The Past Returns_**

**_Prelude: New Arrivals_**

Smuggler captain and Republic privateer Olivaw's head pounded. Something bright was trying to intrude into his consciousness, and he squinted hard due to the pain that increased his headache. His left arm was under something heavy, every muscle in his body ached, and every joint throbbed. He thought back to his last memories trying to determine where he was and how he got here. Last thing he remembered was sitting at the controls of his ship. With him were two jedi, Kai'moira and Dorak, and they were following the course of a long lost friend. Then the visage of the colorfully violent maelstrom entered his mind. It was a gravitic anomaly that pulled them from hyperspace. The ship strained and buckled from the stresses of the spatial rift, and in an act of desperation, Dorak had used a rare and dangerous technique of the Force. The jedi pinched his nose and then…

"My ship!" Olivaw yelled as his eyes popped open. He immediately regretted this as bright light assaulted his vision increasing the pounding in his skull. But he remembered. "Dorak! What happened to my ship?"

"Stop yelling, Ollie," he heard Kai'moira say to his left.

He turned his head to see where she was located. What he thought was a heavy weight on his arm was actually her slender frame. If she weighed fifty kilos it was while wearing full body armor and soaking wet. Even with her dark blue complexion he could see the bruise on her forehead. A small cut left a trickle of blood that ran along the edge of her straight black hair. He would have preferred to see her open her red eyes, but they remained shut as she brought her right arm up to block the light of the sun bearing down on them. She was lying angled across him with their waists even with each other. Her right leg was on top of his while her left one was bent under his left knee. Such a pose meant that her full length blue and white dress had been torn. It was just such a position he had always imagined sharing with her, but not quite under the same circumstances or with so many clothes and not so painful.

"You know, Kai," he said with a chuckle that hurt in his chest. He coughed as she opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "This position is usually more fun without clothing."

The jedi closed her eyes and sighed. "I hurt too much right now to even care about responding to that."

"You have a nasty cut on your head," he said seriously. "How about the rest of you? Anything feel broken?"

"Nothing but aches and soreness and something poking me in the back that better not be you," she replied. She turned her head to look at him again. "It's not you…right?"

"You know me better than that, sister," he said with a grin.

"I do. You've wanted to get me in a position like this for years so I'll ask again…it's not you…right?"

"Trust me we'd both be feeling a lot better if it was me, and you'd be participating and not just waking up. As much as I'd love to make you scream my name in ecstasy, I'd never take advantage of you like that," he replied. "Any sign of Dorak?"

The jedi turned her head to the other side and then lifted it. She groaned with the last movement. After a couple of seconds she lowered her head and looked back at the smuggler. "I don't see him. Is he on the other side?"

Olivaw tried to turn his head to the right, but stopped when he felt something snag one of his vestigial horns. Like most zabrak, he had several horns on top of his head ranging from two to four centimeters in length. Something was hooked onto one or more of his horns barring him from looking for the other jedi.

"No use, I can't turn my head to see," he told Kai'moira. "Can you move and maybe stand up?"

"I think so," she answered. With another groan she strained to sit up, and braced herself with her right arm. She saw the light gray and gold-trimmed robes of the other jedi some ten meters from them. He was lying on his side facing away from her. The braid that held his long auburn hair had been cut by something and blew in the breeze she now felt on her face. "I see him over there," she told the smuggler. "Dorak? Dorak…are you awake?" she yelled, but he did not respond or move. "He's not moving," she said to Olivaw. "He might be hurt worse than us or even…"

"He's just knocked out cold, that's all," the captain said trying to reassure her. "He's tough…I mean…he took on the emperor and won…so I'm sure he's alright." Although he knew that the emperor was not a spatial anomaly capable of pulling a starship out of hyperspace and crushing it. "Let's get up and check on him, and then we can figure out where in the galaxy we are."

Leaves rustled as Kai'moira moved, and after a minute of effort she was standing with her back to the zabrak. They had landed, or arrived, on some bushes, and what had been poking the jedi in the back was a branch that had broken upon their arrival and ran just beside the smuggler's torso. Olivaw suddenly felt very lucky that it had not impaled him. There was a three centimeter hole torn in her dress near the small of her back, and Olivaw winced seeing the deep bruise that even with her dark blue skin was reddish in color. The skirt had been ripped along the back from the bottom up past her knees. The chiss woman moaned as she took a step and placed her hand over the hole. She raised her head and sighed deeply.

"That looks bad, Kai," Olivaw said as he freed his horns from the vine branches hooked to them.

"Trust me…it hurts worse than it looks I am certain," she said without looking at him.

"I don't know. It's dark and kinda reddish…I don't think that's good…right?"

"Ok…it looks as bad as it feels," she answered with a groan. "How about you? Anything broken?"

"Just a massive headache," he answered as he struggled to stand. Pain shot up his left leg from his ankle to his hip. "Take that back…I think I sprained my ankle."

"How bad?"

"I can walk on it, so nothing major," he replied as he looked at the fallen jedi. "Let's see how Dorak is."

Kai'moira nodded as they limped to where the other lay on the ground. Once they saw his face they could see the cut along its left side. The goggles he normally wore were also cut by something in line with the wound, and the front had fallen free from his face exposing bruising along the bridge of his nose and his eyes. The rise and fall of his chest indicated that his breathing was labored and one of his lungs was possibly severely injured if the small trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth was any indication. They also noticed blood on his right arm that was tucked under his body, and his left ankle was twisted in the wrong direction. Kai'moira, being a master of the healing arts, knelt next to Dorak's comatose form and held her hands above him. A golden glow formed just below them and enveloped the jedi's body. Olivaw did not react when the cut visibly healed…he had seen Kai'moira do this before on numerous occasions…even on his own body when they were fighting alongside other Republic soldiers on Corellia. He worked the ankle back in the correct direction when the master healer indicated for him to do so, and soon Dorak's breathing stabilized as Kai'moira ended her trance. She looked up at the smuggler and pointed to the ground next to Dorak.

"You next, sit there and let me see what I can do with that ankle," she said in a tone Olivaw knew better than to argue with. He did as she commanded, and again she performed the same trance for him as she had for Dorak. After a minute she opened her eyes and looked at the smuggler. "Better?" she asked.

"Much better," he answered. "Now do that for yourself."

"I would have to enter a deeper trance to heal myself," she replied. "We need to stay awake until he recovers in case of any danger. We don't know where we are or who might be around."

Olivaw pulled his two blasters from their holsters on each hip. "I'll keep watch. That bruise on your back looked pretty nasty so no arguing with me. Healer…heal thyself."

Kai'moira argued no further as she placed her hands on her knees with her palms facing upwards and closed her eyes. After a few seconds a golden glow enveloped her body indicating she had entered her healing trance. Olivaw gave a slight nod of approval as he holstered his blaster pistols and removed a small device from one of the pockets of his black duster. He poked a couple of the control contacts and ran a diagnostic to ascertain it still functioned. They were on a world he was not familiar with and first order of business was survival. That meant finding food and water for the three of them, and he smiled as the diagnostics returned with a fully functional reading. This little device he could use to scan water and food sources to test if they were safe for them. One could never be too careful as he thought back to a world he once _visited_ with a member of his crew…a wookiee. After they scrambled from the wreckage they had discovered their comm still functioned and sent a call for help, but it would be two weeks before it could arrive. The cargo hold of the ship was damaged while still in space and all of its contents probably still floated in the vacuum of space above that planet. That meant they had to scavenge for their sustenance, and the only food they could find were berries that grew on bushes, and while the wookiee only suffered from excess gas, Olivaw had worse problems and took medication for two months before the _more frequent than normal_ visits to the head ended. He did not plan to have another case of the shits again, and he really didn't want to deal with two jedi if they also fell ill because he failed to check the compatibility of the local food sources with their metabolisms.

The smuggler looked up and examined their surroundings more closely than before. Now that Dorak had been saved and they were all unharmed, at least for the most part, it was time to see where they were. The foliage around him consisted of various violet hues on the leaves and trees that rose high into the air. He whistled as he imagined the canopy was probably as high or higher than those on the forest moon of Endor, and those rose high into the clouds where air was so thin people needed masks and tanks to assist in breathing. This place was not familiar to him and he had visited many different worlds. Beams of light were visible everywhere as the sun's rays penetrated through the forest. After sunset he figured this would be a very dark place. _'Second order_ _of business,'_ he thought to himself, _'we need some sort of defensible shelter.'_

He turned as he heard the sound of running water somewhere close by. With the luck he was having lately, the spatial anomaly that more than likely destroyed his beloved ship and waking up on this strange world, he was surprised they were so close to water. The jedi would claim all that was happening was the _will_ of the Force. He wouldn't go that far. Sure it was some sort of power he never really understood, he had witnessed jedi and sith alike perform incredibly amazing and sometimes terrifying feats so he couldn't say it didn't exist. But that it governed all their lives and propelled them on some unseen path of destiny? Banthashit. He made his own destiny. Carefully stepping through the foliage he approached the sound of the stream or river. As he rounded one of the giant trees he stopped. About twenty meters ahead of him stood a quadruped. The animal had light brown fur on most of its body with a white underside. Atop its head was a massive arrangement of horns and after taking a couple more careful steps Olivaw saw that it was standing at the edge of a small stream. The creature bent its head forward and plucked a small plant and chewed it as it raised its head. Inwardly the smuggler sighed and relaxed a little. It was an herbivore and so no threat of eating the three of them in their sleep. Suddenly the animal tensed before bolting away from him. He hadn't made a sound.

"Stop where you are, stranger," he heard from what sounded like a feminine voice. He hesitated to move his head to see where it came from. "Slowly turn around and keep your hands where I can see them."

The smuggler obeyed the command and turned to see a tall being with violet skin, green hair, and long pointed ears. He hoped it was female because it wore armor plating of a metal he was certain looked like steel, and formed around breasts that made him drool just a little. She held a weapon in both hands that he thought looked like a bow of a wookiee bowcaster but much more primitive because it held a visible projectile with a sharp point aimed at his chest.

"You're…tall," he said with a smile. Another joined her holding a similar weapon. Unlike the first one this one had blue hair pulled back into a ponytail. "You're both tall."

"What are you doing here," the first one asked him.

"That's a long story that, quite frankly, I'm certain you wouldn't believe," he answered.

The second one growled…or its pet did as it moved into Olivaw's view. It was feline with long fangs and a blue and white striped fur coat. "This way," she said using her weapon to indicate where she wanted him to walk. "The others have found your friends. Maybe they have better answers than you."

He hesitated trying to think if he could draw his blasters faster than they could shoot him with their weapons, but being that the one said they had found Dorak and Kai'moira, he decided to obey them…for now. He walked where she indicated, and he could swear the big cat sniffed him as he walked past. They followed closely behind with their weapons trained on him the entire distance. When they rounded a tree near where he left the two jedi, he saw that they were surrounded by more of these beings and their big cats. All of them wore armoring except for a few that stood to the rear and away from the rest. They didn't appear armed to Olivaw and wore simple clothing made of animal hide…probably leather. At least one looked like it was of a different gender and, he hoped, was a male. It didn't have breasts like the rest for one thing, Olivaw was a breast man and loved women no matter what bipedal species, and wore its dark violet hair long over its shoulders. Kai'moira was seated next to Dorak who was still lying on the ground and unconscious. A poke in the back prodded him to join the jedi seated on the ground.

"Wake the human," the first woman began. "I would like to hear what he has to say. You two are unfamiliar to us, but his race is allied to ours."

Kai'moira and Olivaw looked at each other. "We can't wake him," the smuggler replied.

"You can understand them?" the jedi asked him. "How is that possible? I only hear them speaking a language that sounds like no other that I have heard."

Olivaw pointed to his left wrist. "Subdermal translator…I never liked Huttese enough to learn it. I thought all you jedi had these?" She shook her head at him, and he looked back at who he considered was the leader of their captors. "We can't wake him. He's been injured and is sleeping while he heals." He leaned over to the jedi. "I count six that are armed," he whispered. "Think you could take out half while I take out the other half?"

"There's no need for violence," she whispered back. "If they wanted to just kill us they could have done so already."

Olivaw sighed and addressed the leader again. "Mind if we stand, at least?" he asked. "You are all very tall and I'm developing a crick in my neck. I feel like I'm on Kashyyk surrounded by angry wookiees…but with a lot less hair and definitely much prettier."

"Tell us what happened to the human first," one of the other women said. "I would like to know what you did to him. Is he your prisoner?"

Kai'moira began to stand even without permission. When their captors didn't respond the smuggler joined her. By now her use of the Force had enabled her to understand the language spoken to them. "Master Dorak is no prisoner…" she began.

"The woman…she has a weapon on her hip," the one male said. The leader cocked her head at him and then looked at Kai'moira's waist as she examined the metal cylinder roughly the same size as a sword hilt but with no visible blade. "I know of only two others who carry such weapons. The one called jedi that healed Aeyrn in Astranaar...he possesses such a weapon as did his apprentice…the small human girl with yellow hair." The jedi and smuggler exchanged glances.

"Are you certain?" the leader asked him.

"I was there with the general when he healed Aeyrn with the draenei shaman and one of our own…a druid. I saw the girl's weapon and what it can do. I am positive it is the same kind."

"You have seen a lightsaber?" Kai'moira asked the man. He nodded. "Where? What was the name of this person called jedi? Did he wear a visor over his eyes? What was his name?"

Olivaw looked at the jedi. "You don't actually think that…that they have seen Daneel?"

"Why would two beings, who appear to be demons, have a desire to see this man?" the leader asked.

Olivaw's head snapped to look at the leader. "Demons? What do you mean?"

"She has unusual red eyes like a demon," one of the others said. "And I have never seen someone with horns like you."

"And the human is lying unconscious at your feet. Are you his minions?" another asked. "Are you protecting your warlock master?"

"Look lady," Olivaw said to the leader. "I am no demon…whatever that is. I am a zabrak…say it with me…za-brak." He pointed at the other. "Za-brak…and all my species have horns on our heads." He reached up and touched one on the left side of his head. "And I have some of the best…" he stopped when his fingers touched the tip and he looked at Kai'moira. "It's been chipped! My horn has been chipped! You know how long it takes to polish each one to a high sheen?"

"Not now, Ollie," she said and then looked at the leader of their captors. Some of the bows had been relaxed at the smuggler's outburst…and a few chuckles were heard. "I am a chiss," she began. "Was the jedi called Daneel? Have you seen him?" She pointed to Dorak, Olivaw, and herself. "We are friends of his from years ago. The human, Dorak, and I trained with him as jedi on the world called Tython."

"You…are also a jedi?" the leader asked her. She looked at the others with her, and they all shared the same quizzical expression as she did.

Kai'moira judged by their expressions that they indeed did know Daneel. She felt a joy in her heart that they had found where he disappeared to, and at least that was a start and a bright spot on an otherwise dismal day. They knew him which meant that he was still alive. "I am as also is this man," she replied pointing to Dorak. "Ollie is a friend from the war. He fought with us and Daneel in many battles against the Empire." She looked at the smuggler who was now examining all of his horns with his fingers. "He is not a jedi like us, but he is a friend nonetheless."

"This could be a trick," one of the others said to the leader. "The jedi is a friend of the kaldorei, and he warned us of potential enemies who could pose as friends. The ones he called sith." Several nodded in agreement as their bowlines stretched.

"I swear to you we are friends of Daneel's and not sith," Kai'moira repeated. "I know that Ollie acts differently," she said with a sidelong glare at him. She pointed to Dorak. "But this one was married to his sister. We have come a long way to find him and tell him about her." She held her hands before her. "Take us as prisoners until you are satisfied, but at least let Daneel know that we are here. Tell him that Kai'moira, Dorak, and Olivaw have come looking for him. Tell him we have news about Zufa."

The leader scratched her head. "I do not know the jedi personally," she said. "But our general does. You will come to Astranaar with us…as guests…and we will let Shandris decide if you are friend or foe. She knows the jedi and has fought beside him. She will know whether or not you speak the truth."


	2. Living in Northrend

**_Part One: Living in Northrend_**

Nestled against the base of a mountain in Dragonblight stood an enormous tree almost as tall as the mountain itself. Malfurion Stormrage, Archdruid of the kaldorei, had planted the seed less than nine months before and with a spell it had grown to its current height within a day. Since then a crew of eight night elves fashioned rooms, hallways, and living quarters within the giant tree which was now the new home of the jedi order on Azeroth. This morning the human jedi knight, Celeste, stood next to the island counter in the kitchen that separated the areas for cooking and dining. On the plate before her were several pieces of fruit that she sliced with a small knife. As was common with night elven structures the new temple had many windows to the outdoors, and although they were located in Northrend where the temperatures were typically cold, this region near the crevice that ran along the side of mountain was often almost twenty degrees warmer. Her wavy blonde hair she normally wore tied into a ponytail, but just the day before she had cut it shorter than she had ever cut it before. Now it was shoulder length instead of down to the small of her back, and this morning she left it hanging and framing her face. She wore a simple light blue sleeveless tunic and matching breeches…and bare feet.

She stopped cutting the fruit, picked up a slice, and bit into it letting the sweet nectar tickle her taste buds. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed her breakfast and thought about the plans for the day. Although only four would be living in the temple when the night elves were finished, they were working on rooms in the higher levels of the tree. Lifts to the upper levels were made much the same way as they were in Darnassus. The jedi had access to more advanced levels of technology, but for this temple they decided to forgo those conveniences for the immediate future. As time progressed and the order grew, which the grand master anticipated, then perhaps more advanced lifts would replace the current ones. While the night elves concentrated on their objective, she would be joining her old master and their padawans in assisting the gnome, Windi Weathergear, with installing the one highly technological device that would be instrumental in the order's future. Considered advanced even in Daneel's home galaxy, the noetikons could store an unimaginable amount of information and future generations of jedi could consult them to learn what she and the current jedi had, were, and would be doing.

Celeste picked up another slice of fruit and was almost about to bite into it when her padawan, Illiana, entered the kitchen. The high elf had apparently just woken as her long raven black hair was mussed and she wiped sleep from her deep blue eyes with her palms. She padded across the floor on bare feet wearing a black bra and matching panties under a white untied robe on a slim frame with medium sized breasts. Her form was pleasing for many men to gaze upon being well proportioned and with a flat stomach, but unlike her master she was not as toned where her abdominal muscles would flex with each breath or the visible muscles in her arms as she wielded a lightsaber. Celeste cocked her head to the side as her padawan approached the island and sat on a stool opposite of her. Illiana yawned before looking at the human. Even sitting she still had to look down at her master. Where Illiana was of average quel'dorei height at five feet eight inches, Celeste was a good six inches shorter. The human was athletically built with a similar sized bust as her padawan despite being smaller, shorter, and lighter.

"Want something to eat," Celeste asked before taking a bite of fruit and pushing the plate before her padawan. Illiana groaned and shook her head. "Late night I take it?"

"Why? What time of day is it?"

"Mid-morning," the human answered with a smile.

"Ugh…Grogg wore me out completely last night," Illiana said. Celeste dropped her slice of fruit. "Not like that…we were sparring and lost track of time."

The human watched the elf as she picked up a piece of fruit and sniffed it. Grogg, a Force sensitive orc, was the padawan of Daneel who was the grand master of their order. Until nine months ago Celeste had been his padawan, and at that time they were pursuing Illiana who was their adversary. The elf's mind was under the influence of an old man enhanced with the power of an Old God. Daneel had used a technique in the Force to shield Illiana's mind and saved her. It was during that crisis that Celeste had become a knight and no longer Daneel's padawan. Illiana was changed after the old man had been defeated and once free of the Old God's influence Celeste offered to train her as a jedi. Now she felt the elf was ready to begin her trials. Illiana needed little guidance in the martial arts as she was trained by an old sith lord named Drakus, and for the past nine months most of her training concentrated on the ways of the jedi and their adherence to the jedi code and the light side of the Force. Illiana was a model padawan. Grogg, on the other hand, was still not quite as versed in the Force as Illiana. He had grown up moving from place to place and with a variety of peoples…some were of a more unscrupulous nature. He was discovered in Outland in the city of Shattrath, and unlike Illiana had never been trained in the ways of the Force. His progress was impressive, but he still had a long way to go before Daneel considered preparing his trials to pass from padawan to knight. Apparently, Illiana had been helping her fellow padawan with his studies.

"He has a tremendous amount of stamina," the elf continued. "He's big, strong, and bulky like any orc, but he is also amazingly resilient. He kept coming and coming and I could barely keep up with him near the end."

Celeste laughed causing the elf to glower at her. "You know…if you had not said sparring before I would still think you were talking about sex." Illiana huffed. "But it's good that you are helping him. He has much to learn about being a jedi."

The elf took a bite of her fruit, and then placed the rest of it on the plate. "Good thing he never had to train under Drakus. Grogg has too kind a heart. He would not have survived that old man's tortures." She looked to see Celeste glowering at her. "I don't mean that as a bad thing…I just don't think he would have fought back like I did. Grogg would probably run off or hid in a corner which would have only fuelled Drakus' rage. To survive that man's nightmare you had to be angry all of the time and fight back. Fight back or he would kill you. Grogg is more a lover than a fighter which is strange for an orc. I think he would be more suited as a healer or diplomat."

Celeste softened. "Jedi are both those and also fighters when the need arises. He just needs time to learn. And I can't imagine what life was like under Drakus, but you are a jedi now. No longer do you have to rely on your rage and anger to survive. When you are at peace you can feel the light side of the Force flow through you. When that happens, you will feel more alive than ever before."

"I know, master, but sometimes it is a struggle to remember that," Illiana stated. "I think of the world and what I had planned…it is difficult not to be angry with Drakus…that old man that haunted my mind…myself and my weakness that allowed him to control me…and my father for what he did to mother and me and caused all of that to happen in the first place. It is especially hard not to hate the sith even though I am half one myself."

"I have sith blood in my veins as well," Celeste answered. "Whether it be half or a smaller fraction it is their genetics that gives us a connection to the Force that may not be present in other races. I am not proud of the sith or what they have done on this world, but I also cannot deny that their gift of that heritage is why I am a jedi and can do amazing things and help protect the people of this world. Regardless of the past, you are also a jedi and can protect the world that those who sought to use you once desired to destroy. Take pride in that knowing this you have already surpassed Drakus and your father and all the wrongs they did to you…and I am proud of the growth you have shown and continue to show."

"Thank you, master," Illiana said with a smile. "Now I don't suppose you know of a cure for hangovers?"

"I thought you said you just sparred last night," Celeste said with a raised eyebrow.

The elf's smile widened as she held up her right index finger and thumb. "We may have celebrated a little bit afterwards."

* * *

Demira sat just outside her home across the crevice from the new jedi temple. She gazed upon the flowers she had planted right after moving into this home she shared with her husband, Daneel. While she still missed their old home in Eversong Woods, the one thing that made her feel more at ease were the flowers. Northrend was a much harsher environment than Eversong, but the former dragon Aspects, Alexstrasza and Ysera, had assured her that flowers would grow here and she was grateful to them. Surely the dragons had some influence on the fertility of the soil and the warmer climate. With a smile she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply their fragrance. Sacrificing their home in Eversong Woods had been part of a deal made with Lor'themar Theron to spare the life of Illiana. Daneel was certain that there was good in the woman, and Demira supported her husband, but the regent of the sin'dorei was not so easily swayed. The padawan had attacked the forces guarding the Sunwell and planned to destroy it which would have decimated the blood elves. Without the power coming from the Sunwell most of them would suffer arcane withdrawal as the entire race was addicted to its energies. Some of the sin'dorei could perish unable to overcome their addictions. Illiana and Daneel dueled, and it was during that encounter that they learned she was under another's influence, and the jedi had used the Force to save the woman from her torment. Once Daneel had shielded the young woman, she at first had large gaps in her memory and it wasn't until later when the Avatar of N'Zoth was killed that those returned to her. Lor'themar was not without compassion and after seeing the change in Illiana when Daneel used his Force technique he acquiesced to the woman's release into the jedi's custody.

Despite this there was another reason the regent wanted Demira and Daneel removed from Eversong Woods. Lor'themar felt that she had turned her back on her people and no matter what she said or did to prove to him otherwise he never believed her. She had turned her back on the arcane and embraced the Force. Because of its healing properties the green glow of her eyes disappeared and she looked more like a high elf than a blood elf. She no longer suffered from the addiction as other blood elves did. She was in Silvermoon to save the Sunwell with the help of her husband and Alexstrasza, but still that was not enough for the regent because they had been helping the kaldorei before that. The animosity between the two races ran so deep and for so long that he felt her aid to the night elves was an affront to the sin'dorei. But the final blow that he quoted to her was that she had married an alien. When the Scourge invaded Quel'thalas almost ninety percent of their population was killed. So few sin'dorei remained that Lor'themar felt blood elves should only marry and mate with other blood elves to preserve their race. But she had married Daneel because she loved him, and to the regent that was the greatest affront of all. In his mind she was contributing to the end of their race, and for that he banished her. She could never return to Eversong Woods, Silvermoon City, or any part of Quel'thalas. She was an outcast…and as she smelled the flowers of her new garden she didn't care…she was at peace and happy. She opened her eyes and looked up towards the side of the mountain. About four hundred feet above, and climbing the mountainside, were Daneel and his new padawan, Grogg. She was happy and at peace, and as she watched the man from another galaxy she was also in love.

By her side a small device began beeping. She sighed as she picked it up and thumbed the contact switch on its side. Above the device a three dimensional image of a human female with long dark hair and wearing dark robes like a jedi appeared. "Hello, Kuro," she said to the image of the black dragon. Kuro was the only known surviving black dragon besides the self-claimed king Wrathion who was raised by the red dragon flight. Kuro had been instrumental in helping avert the last crisis the jedi had been involved in and was herself a member of their order.

"Good to see you, Demira," the dragon replied. "I was hoping to catch Daneel. Is he somewhere close by?"

"He's climbing the mountain with Grogg," the mage replied with a smile. "Tell me what it is you need and I can relay it to him."

Kuro looked off to the side and then the image changed to show another person Demira was familiar with…Tyrande Whisperwind, High Priestess of Elune and leader of the kaldorei. Demira continued to smile but wondered why Kuro was with the night elves. Last she knew the dragon was residing at Wyrmrest Temple here in Dragonblight.

"Greetings, Demira," Tyrande said. Demira nodded as the priestess continued. "We have something of a quandary that I think Daneel can help us with."

"Are there more terentateks?" Demira asked. "I thought there was only the three and those were destroyed."

Tyrande shook her head. "Nothing as dangerous as that. A few days ago some sentinels were scouting in Ashenvale when they saw a flash of light not far from them. When they investigated the area they discovered three strange individuals. Two claimed to be jedi and asked for Daneel…by name…and claimed to know him. My sentinels brought the three of them…one human and two others of races we are unfamiliar with…to Astranaar to meet Shandris. She immediately contacted me and Malfurion contacted Ysera."

"That's why I am here in Darnassus," she heard Kuro say to the side of Tyrande's image. "I have met these three strangers after Shandris brought them here to Darnassus."

"Did they say how they knew my husband?"

"The woman said her name was Kai'moira. She said they were looking for him and had trained with him to become jedi and fought with him in a war."

"That's…that's not possible," Demira said sitting up straight. Her smile waned. "How Daneel got here was an accident…an incredible set of circumstances that would be near impossible to repeat. What they claim…I find it hard to believe." She hesitated as she looked up at the two jedi climbing the mountain. "Did they say anything else? Anything that might prove what they say is true?"

Tyrande's image was replaced by Kuro's. "This Kai'moira said they have information about Zufa, but I do not know who that is." Demira raised her free hand to her mouth and gasped. "I take it you know who this person is?"

The mage nodded. "Zufa is Daneel's sister."

* * *

In the corner of the mountain crevice forming an almost equidistant triangle with the jedi temple and the home of the jedi master and his wife, Zharn stood with a dwarf mason as they examined the plans for the home that would be built into the side of the mountain face. Normally the orc shaman and his draenei wife, Kitali, would live with the other members of the Earthen Ring in the Maelstrom, but after recent events they decided to make a permanent home near the new jedi temple. While back at the Maelstrom, they had informed Go'el, formally known as Thrall, of their decision and revealed their dual loyalties to both the Earthen Ring and the jedi order. Surprisingly the former Warchief of the Horde was very understanding and revealed that before their return to the Maelstrom he had been visited by the Life Binder. Alexstrasza had informed him of some details of their involvement in the crisis in Northrend and with the night elves, and he also knew now about the jedi order and their mission on Azeroth. He smiled at them when he told them he admired their dedication to the protection of the world, and their friendship and support of at least one of the Aspects meant a great deal to him personally since he had also worked closely with them during the Hour of Twilight. Zharn and Kitali could have no better advocate in his eyes, and this warmed the couple greatly because Go'el was also one of the few orcs who accepted their marriage. Now Zharn stood with the dwarf discussing the location of the entrance to the home and how much it should protrude from the mountainside. The shaman couple preferred to have at least half of their home in the open where windows could provide natural sunlight much like the one built for Demira and Daneel, but the dwarf was arguing that in the corner of the crevice there was a greater chance for rock slides and that a home in the open could be easily crushed should such an event occur. Zharn was arguing that if there was a rock slide and they were inside the mountain enclosed abode, then they would be trapped inside and so there was little difference how much of the home was exposed. So far neither had remotely convinced the other they were right.

While her husband argued with the dwarf about their home, Kitali was walking the half mile back after visiting the jedi temple. While most of the activity had been in the tree itself, another area had been built into the mountain with the help of Kuro before she left for Wyrmrest Temple. Being a black dragon she was uniquely qualified to empty out several small sections inside the rock face where the jedi would house those technological devices they wanted to secret away from the rest of Azeroth. Nulentropy containers holding power cells, computers and parts for them, speeders, some kolto med packs, and other items scavenged from the wreckage of Daneel's ship and the old sith base in Eversong Woods would be housed in these chambers and known only to those of the order. Along with Celeste and Illiana, she had been running an inventory check on what they stored against what they had destroyed. Kuro had filled the old sith base that was inside a mountain in Eversong Woods. Now the mountain was solid rock and unless a determined archeologist spent centuries intensely examining each rock of the mountain no one would ever know the sith base ever existed. Kitali, along with Demira and Zharn, had removed what valuable items remained at the wreckage and moved it to the new temple while Daneel used a telekinetic wave to destroy the shell of the ship and everything they left behind. No longer would they have to frequently check the stones Demira placed years ago that were enchanted with an invisibility cloak around the ship. No metal, plasteel, transparisteel, or fuel was left behind. The ground was still scarred where the ship had crashed. Foliage had grown over most of the trail, but the deep crevice where the ship skidded along the ground was still discernable to the naked eye if one were to look closely enough. Now all that remained was the crater from where the ship had settled. The only remnant of the couple's life in Eversong Woods was the empty house where they lived and that was because Demira did not have it in her heart to destroy the home she had known and lived in her entire adult life. Kitali remembered Daneel holding the elf as she cried while the last of their belongings were moved from the house and through the portal leading to their new home here in Northrend. That was a sad day.

As the draenei approached the area where her new home would be built, she smiled as the voices of her husband and the dwarf could be heard. She looked forward to living close to her friends. Demira had adjusted amazingly well since leaving Eversong Woods. Her garden was full of brightly colored flowers, and Kitali was certain those were a huge reason her longtime friend had adjusted so well. Even when they first met years before Daneel's arrival, the elf was always tending her flowers or picking them while they were in other parts of the world. Demira was the only woman she knew that could hold a petal and tell you what kind of flower it was, where it was commonly found, and even the nuances of the fragrance as she sniffed it deeply. Kitali couldn't make a flower grow if her life depended on it. Instead she concentrated on another hobby that interested her greatly…creating the clothing they all wore. Daneel was adept at what he called synthweaving, and he had taught Kitali some of the techniques used to make apparel similar to those commonly worn where he came from. His old synthweaving machine they had scrounged from the wreckage along with crates of materials and all were now located in the new temple on the second level, and she had spent some time there the day before creating a newly styled outfit for the women of the order. She was certain Celeste, even with her newfound sense of modesty, would wear it. Demira already had a set of the new robes and loved them. Tomorrow she would be finished with the set for Celeste, and she was anxious to see how the diminutive human would look wearing it. Celeste was the most physically fit human woman she had ever known and had an abdomen that made even her slightly jealous. As she approached her husband and the dwarf, she pulled her white outer robe tight around herself. The first version she had made for herself, and she wanted to show it off to Zharn, but not while the dwarf was around.

"If there is a rockslide then we'll have the other rooms inside the mountain to run to and still be safe. I fail to see why having rooms outside would make a difference," she heard Zharn say.

"It no just that…but yer sleeping room…it needs to be underground as well," the dwarf countered. "If one of them happens in the wee hours o' the night while you and yours is sleeping…"

"We're shamans…we're used to waking at dawn's first light as it shines through our window. Can't you just make the roof thicker for that room if you're worried about rock slides in the middle of the night?"

The dwarf scratched his beard as Kitali came up to stand beside Zharn. Quietly she reached over and held his hand. He squeezed hers as he glowered at the dwarf. Finally the man looked up at the orc and draenei. "Fine…we'll build it yer way despite it goes against me better judgment. But if ye gets crushed in yer sleep don't go a blamin' me. I warned ye." He turned and walked back to join the rest of his crew working on the interior rooms inside the mountain.

Kitali chuckled after the dwarf left, and Zharn turned his head and kissed her on the forehead while still keeping his eyes on the dwarf. "Morning was that good?" Kitali asked with another chuckle. "He's just doing what he thinks is best."

"Whatever happened to 'the customer is always right?'" he asked. "Is it too much to ask that we have our home built they way we want it?"

"He's a builder, not a merchant," she countered. "If he was a goblin he would do just as you asked without question and then six months later we'd be cursing his name when the roof leaked or the wall fell over or some other issue because he cut corners. Dwarves are excellent builders and they take great pride in their work. Just…try to remember that next time."

Zharn sighed as he looked at his wife. "Why are you always the voice of reason in this family?"

"Because I'm the smart one," she said with a grin. "And you are the protective one. The smart one knows what to say and when, and the protective one knows when to crush the life out of some asshole when they hurt the smart one."

"But what if the protective one says or does something stupid?" Zharn playfully asked with a smile.

"Then the smart one forgives the protective one," she said leaning close to him. "And if there was a fight they have lots of make-up sex."

"Ok…oh smart one," Zharn teased. "What are you hiding?" Her eyes lit up as she turned her head. "You're holding your robes awfully tight. Wearing something underneath for the bedroom? Wearing…anything under that robe?"

She smiled coyly at him. "I designed a new outfit for the women of our little order." She opened the robe for him to see. Underneath she was wearing a full length white skirt that came up to her waist just below her naval. The top had a tight collar and what appeared like full length sleeves, but ended just below her breasts leaving her midriff bare. "Well…what do you think? The bottom looks like a skirt but is actually two separate leggings that are full giving the appearance of a skirt. We can ride any mount or speeder…or dragon…and still look sharp and sexy." she asked him.

"Sexy," he repeated with a wide tusky grin as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "I like it."

* * *

Daneel pulled himself up one more foot as his left hand searched for a new hold. They were over six hundred feet from the ground…another two hundred higher than when Demira watched them earlier. He wore a tight cloth sleeveless shirt and shorts as did his padawan climbing ten feet below him. Both wore their normal boots made for any terrain, a utility belt, and each had a training vibrosword recovered from the abandoned sith base in Eversong Woods strapped to their back. The jedi master's fingers found a good hold, and he pulled himself up a little higher on the mountain face. He looked up to see his objective. Five feet above his head was a small ledge he found when he first made this climb alone almost a week ago. It was there he would give his apprentice the lesson for the day.

He looked back at Grogg as the orc secured another hold and pulled himself up. He was about the same age as Illiana, and the two padawans spent a lot of time together. Daneel was not worried about any romantic connection between the two…there wasn't one. Instead they had become very close friends and enjoyed helping each other in their studies. The elven woman spent most of her life under the tutelage of sith lord Drakus in the fortress located not far from this mountain. The sith trained her in the use of the dark side of the Force and the martial arts, but never in the mysteries of the Force or the light side. During all those years she lived in seclusion, and when she did finally kill her old master and left it was only to find and follow her mother, Raeva. Grogg had spent his life in all parts of this world and Outland and experienced many of the different walks of life. He, however, was never told what his gift was or how to use it. In their training, the orc and elf complimented each other as they taught the other what they knew before joining the order and becoming apprentices.

In Daneel's opinion both would become fine jedi, but this morning Grogg was struggling. Orcs, by nature, were gifted with great physical strength and stamina. As Daneel watched his padawan continue to climb he noticed the beginning signs of fatigue, and that condition was exactly what he was counting on to help drive home today's lesson with the orc. Looking up, Daneel reached out with the Force and leapt the final five feet to land on the ledge. While in mid-leap he pulled the vibrosword from is straps and activated the electronics along the blade. He looked down at the orc as Grogg continued to climb. When he was about five feet away from the ledge, Daneel struck the edge with the sword knocking loose stones that pelted the head of the orc. Grogg growled as he looked up, one stone had left a bruise on the padawan's forehead. The orc wore his receding but long black hair in a braid that hung down his back. His eyes widened and mouth gaped as he saw Daneel looking down at him with the humming sword held down and to his right.

"This isn't fair," Grogg huffed. "After climbing this high and wearing me out now you want to fight?"

"Life is rarely ever fair…you already know this. A jedi must be aware of his surroundings and be prepared for anything at all times," Daneel said as he knocked more stones loose. "An enemy can come from any direction and at any time. They will take any advantage they can…like now. Were I inclined to fight you, could you face me?"

"But you aren't my enemy!" Grogg replied while breathing heavily. "What is the purpose of this? I'm tired from all this climbing; you have the high ground, and both hands free."

"Why are you tired?" the master asked. "I climbed the same distance…wore the same equipment…am I breathing heavily? Do I look tired?" Grogg shook his head. "Why do you suppose that is? I am an alien to this world as are your people. Orcs are known for having great strength and stamina…better than the other races of this world. Is my species better than yours because you are out of breath and I am not?"

"No," the orc answered hoping it was the answer his master wanted.

"Then why?"

"I do not know," Grogg replied.

"You have learned a great deal about the Force in a short time," Daneel said as he extinguished the blade and knelt at the edge. "You have learned to see things in other places, move objects as you had always done but with less effort and more precision, used the Force to enhance your fighting abilities, and in learning how to heal others. Why then is it today did you not use the Force to assist you in this climb?"

"It was just a climb," Grogg answered. "I thought it was just more physical training."

"It is because you relied on your own strength and stamina…as all proud orcs do," Daneel answered. Grogg shook his head in denial. "It is not a failing you are experiencing today but a lesson all must learn. When I first invited you to join us what is the one thing I said you must accept in your training that I have repeatedly told you?"

"That I must unlearn what I have always accepted as truth," Grogg answered. "But I do not understand how that applies now? I was not relying on my natural abilities."

"No…you were not," Daneel replied. "Your unique natural ability is your sensitivity to the Force. It is the one thing that makes you different from all other orcs. Unlearning what you know not only applies to what you know in your mind…in your heart…but also in your body…in your DNA. It is instinctual, not only in orcs but in all races, for the body to automatically know what it can and cannot do…and you act accordingly to those instincts…instincts that told you to use your physical prowess instead of opening yourself to the Force as you have learned to do when you spar with a blade. Had you ignored your instincts and opened yourself to the Force you would be as I am now. And you could use it to leap to me and face me…not struggle to hold yourself up upon the rock face." He stretched out with his left hand, and Grogg gasped as he was pulled up to the ledge by the invisible hand of the Force. He landed next to his master and looked down at him. "You are so strong and your stamina is so great, and yet with the Force it can be so much more. Open yourself to it always. When you are open to it you will find yourself aware of everything around you and prepared for such surprises as I pulled upon you just now." The master smiled and put his hand on the orc's shoulder. "In time using the Force will become just as instinctual…as much as relying on your strength and stamina is now. You will become a conduit for it and then your life will forever be changed."

"But I told you before I don't like fighting or all of this physical stuff," Grogg countered. His muscles were half again larger than Daneel's, he stood a half a foot taller, and yet he felt intimidated by the smaller miraluka.

"Neither do I," Daneel replied. "And yet there are times when such things are unavoidable so we train in these arts to prepare us for when we must do that which we do not want to." He stepped to the side and pointed to the ledge under their feet. It was just large enough for both men to sit side by side. "Come…let us sit and meditate. Meditate on what I have said and what you have learned."

"Yes, master," the orc said. He started to lower when a beeping came from his master's utility belt. "You brought a holocom?" he asked.

"Demira would kill me if I hadn't" Daneel answered with a chuckle as he took the device from its pouch and thumbed the contact.

The orc smiled widely at his master. He may be intimidated by the miraluka, but he also admired him and felt no animosity towards the man. In fact he was grateful for the opportunity the jedi gave him even though days like today were very trying for him. He wanted to do well for his new master and learn from the man after he had taken a chance on the orc…something no one else had ever truly done for him in the past.

A three dimensional image of Demira appeared above the holocommunicator. "Hello, hon," Daneel said.

"You need to come home right away," she said bluntly. "Something's come up and you need to be here…soon."

* * *

"First they march us to some small podunk outpost, then put us in this rickety cart and haul us to some port where they then force us onto some sort of ship…I'm still queasy from that ride, by the way…and then march into this _city_. Now they tell us we're going to ride on beasts that fly?" Olivaw protested to his companions. Dorak and Kai'moira stood beside him while the leader of these people and a raven haired human woman stood before them. Behind them standing at attention were several guards. Ahead of them was the landing pad for griffins, dragons, and other flying mounts used by visitors to Darnassus. "What kind of backwater planet is this?"

"Dragons are not beasts," Kuro responded without looking at him. In the distance two dots could be seen. "Tariolstrasz and Vethsera approach."

"Ollie…stop antagonizing people," Kai'moira whispered to him. "They are taking us to see Daneel which is a lot more than we expected when we first arrived here."

Dorak walked up to Tyrande who turned towards him when he approached. "Madame, I must ask…and please understand I mean no offense…but is Daneel your prisoner? Is that why you are taking us to see him instead of him coming here?"

The high priestess smiled at the human jedi. "Nothing could be farther from it," she answered. "We are taking you to the jedi because they are busy building their new temple. Your friend is highly respected amongst my people and we do this because he is our friend as well."

Kai'moira walked up next to Dorak. "You said 'they are building their new temple'…are there other jedi on this world?"

"There are currently only ten of us," Kuro said turning around. Both Dorak and Kai'moira gaped at her. "On this world the jedi come from all walks of life, and we follow the same code that you do as taught to us by Daneel. He is our leader and we strive to follow his example."

"Great," Olivaw exasperated throwing his hands in the air. "More jedi? And _stuffed shirt_ is your leader…that should be interesting."

"Ollie!" "Kai'moira exclaimed.

"What? Isn't he some grand master jedi? I like the guy, don't get me wrong, and I owe him my life more times than I care to count, but he wasn't exactly the most carefree of you guys. Always strict with the code and following the _will_ of the Force…preachy." The other rolled her eyes at him. He looked at Kuro as the dragons grew larger in the sky and they could see the great dragon's wings. "And you're saying we are flying on those to go meet him? I only see two of them."

"I figured since you are so uppity about the flight to see your friend that you could ride me during our journey," Kuro said.

Olivaw scratched his tattooed chin as he looked Kuro up and down. "You are very pretty and the idea of riding you sounds like it could be a lot of fun, but while also on the back of one of those beasts…not so much fun."

Tariolstrasz and Vethsera landed on the landing pad as Kuro turned to join them and then again to look directly at the smuggler. "We are not beasts!" she said as she transformed into her natural dragon form. Dorak and Kai'moira gasped at the sudden change in their travelling companion. "We are amongst the oldest and wisest beings of this world."

Olivaw took a step back in shock. "You're…not so pretty any more."

Kuro indicated, with a nod of her head, for Kai'moira to climb onto Tariolstrasz' back and for Dorak onto Vethsera's. She then lowered her head next to the smuggler. "Climb onto my back, Ollie. I promise I will not bite," she said with a wide toothy grin.

Kai'moira and Dorak climbed onto the backs of the other dragons while Olivaw looked into Kuro's left eye. "Sure," he said to her. "That's what my last girlfriend told me too before she…"

"Ollie! Just climb up and let's get going!" Kai'moira exclaimed.

"Hey…I just have this thing about pain…I don't like it," he answered as he climbed onto Kuro's back. "Pain and I do not get along…that's all. And did you see the size of her teeth?"

Both Kai'moira and Kuro sighed and rolled their eyes at the same time. Tariolstrasz simply chuckled. Vethsera turned her head to look at Dorak and said in a low voice, "Is your friend always this squeamish?"

"Most of the time," the jedi replied with a shrug. "But he does have his moments."


	3. I Miss Her

**_Part Two: "I Miss Her"_**

Jedi master Dorak rode on the back of the green dragon Vethsera north to where he was told his old friend now lived. The three dragons were taking a leisurely time flying as there was no urgent need to reach the jedi temple and slower speeds were easier on their riders. Vethsera flew to the far left of the formation while Kuro flew in the middle. Dorak looked to his right to see how his companions were faring. Kai'moira, on the far right riding atop Tariolstrasz, was carrying on a conversation with the red dragon. Dorak could not hear what they were talking about, but every once in a while she would smile as did the dragon...at least as far as he could tell. The smuggler riding the black dragon was having a more difficult time. Olivaw hung on tightly with both arms and legs which would sometimes bring a protest from Kuro. Despite being a crackshot pilot and possessed the best aim with a blaster Dorak had ever met, Olivaw had a phobia about heights that he normally hid but which was very apparent as they flew northward. In fact, they were flying over water now…another thing the zabrak didn't like much. Vethsera had told him they would be flying from one continent to another and that for some of their journey they would be flying over the sea that separated the two, but there was no concern for their safety as the dragons had become used to carrying some of the smaller races during times of crisis. Olivaw, Dorak was certain, would still prefer to have both feet on the ground or at least in control of the vessel that he was flying and right now he had neither. Kuro was obviously frustrated with her passenger, but if she knew the smuggler like Dorak did, he knew she would be enjoying the zabrak's discomfort.

After a minute the jedi turned his head back to look in the direction they were flying. Far in the distance the faint shapes of land could be seen. His auburn hair flew in the wind behind him, and he closed his eyes remembering the last time he saw an approach of land like he had just seen. It was around three years ago. He was in a speeder travelling from one region of Alderaan to another. After arriving at the spaceport operated by House Organa, he had rented a speeder and as a gift from the Organa's was given access to a remote vacation home they owned far from any of the fighting. Sitting to his right was the woman he loved more than life itself, Zufa. She wore a dark red full length skirt and matching top with a plunging neckline that opened all the way down to her naval. Her brown hair hung perfectly over her shoulders and to the middle of her back and flowed with her head as she laughed when he almost lost control of the speeder because he was distracted by her cleavage. He smiled as he remembered just how beautiful she was and how much joy they brought to each other. The jedi council had given them both a break for the next month albeit for different reasons. He had just returned from Makeb after assisting in the evacuation of the local population before their world died as a result of excessive deep core mining by the Hutts. Zufa had been instrumental in the success of a Republic operation on the war torn world of Denova. This was their first chance to be alone since their honeymoon two years before. Most of the trip from the spaceport to the resort she remained quiet, however. Still almost a year and a half after his disappearance, she had not accepted the disappearance of her brother, Daneel. If the sith kept the jedi Revan in stasis for over three centuries, then in her mind they could also have done the same to him since he was Barsen'thor of the jedi. Olivaw had a small network of spies he had acquired after defeating the Voidwolf, and they were searching the Empire's records for any such ploy against the jedi master. That morning she had reviewed several of their reports and all were negative. The sith had no part in her brother's disappearance, at least according to official records and most of the unofficial ones that Olivaw's spies had uncovered. The news had not set well with his wife.

"You're awfully quiet," he heard Vethsera say to him. He opened his eyes to see they were no longer over water. "Does something trouble you?" she asked.

"Just…remembering something," he replied. "Are we almost there yet?"

"A few more hours," she replied. "You were quiet for so long I thought you might have fallen asleep. You're friends have been chatty the entire trip. Well…the woman has been. The one with Kuro seems very agitated." She turned her head to look at him and her look softened, or at least it looked to him like it did. "Painful memories?" she asked. "I don't mean to pry, and if you don't want to talk about it I understand."

He looked into her large reptilian eyes, and for no reason he could explain he wanted to tell her. "I was remembering my wife," he said.

"The one with Tariolstrasz is not your wife?" she asked. He shook his head. "Why is she not with you?"

"She was killed several weeks ago," he answered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Zufa…was on a diplomatic vessel headed to a world on the fringe of Republic space far from the fighting of the war. A sith battle group ambushed her ship and attacked leaving no survivors. And no reason for the attack has been given." He opened his eyes and looked down at Vethsera's face and saw deep compassion there. "She was Daneel's sister. She had told him she married, but he never knew it was to me."

"And you came here to tell him what happened to her?" the dragon asked softly.

"She never believed he was dead…and neither did I…so when she…" He stopped and looked up into the sky. "When she…I…I wanted to find him and let him know…that she was always thinking about him…she never gave up trying to find him after he disappeared…she never gave up….and so I couldn't either…" his voice trailed off and then he looked back at the dragon. "That's why I am here. The others have their own reasons, but I…I am here for her."

Vethsera shook her head and then looked back ahead of them. "He will want to know," she said.

"How well do you know Daneel?" Dorak asked hoping to change the direction of the conversation. Speaking about his wife pained him deeply.

"Kuro and Tariolstrasz were both personally saved by him," Vethsera replied. "I was there guarding him while he fought for survival against an Old God."

"What's an Old God?" Dorak asked her.

"It is a long tale, but I believe I can tell it all before we arrive," she said looking back at him. "And it might serve to help ease your pain while we travel to see our friend." She smiled at Dorak before looking forward again. "It was little over nine months ago when I first met him…" she began. As they flew over Northrend she told Dorak about meeting Daneel and his friends in Astranaar, and the events leading to the building of the new jedi temple in Dragonblight. He interrupted from time to time to ask her questions about Old Gods, Titans, Aspects, and she was more than happy to answer. By the time they could see the mountain which was their destination; Dorak looked forward to seeing his old friend for other reasons than to tell him that the woman they both loved had perished. As he was back home, Daneel was a hero on this world and had saved countless lives.

* * *

Celeste ducked to the side as Illiana's blade swung over her head. Spinning on her heel, the jedi held her vibrosword backhanded and slightly along her right arm swinging it at Illiana's legs. The elf jumped over the sword and somersaulted in the air over her master's head to land behind Celeste. She reached out with her left hand and pushed at the small human with the Force, but the jedi did not move as she came out of her spin and stood facing her padawan holding her vibrosword behind her. Both women wore similar outfits that were comprised of red skintight sleeveless halter tops and shorts that extended to mid-thigh. They smiled at the other as each dug her heel in for another movement to their dance. Illiana brought her sword before her level in both hands assuming a Soresu stance while Celeste countered holding hers down and to her right…an opening stance of the Juyo form. This time not only were Celeste's abdominal muscles flexing with each breath, but Illiana's were as well.

Both women poised to strike when Grogg ran past them. They were so intent on their sparring that they never sensed his approach. He said nothing as he ran past, his braided hair streaking behind his head as he obviously was using the Force to enhance his speed. Celeste and Illiana lowered their swords as they watched him run into the jedi temple, and then after a few seconds he ran back out. He ran up and stopped next to them doubling over with hands on his knees as he recovered his breathing. The women looked at each other and then at the orc. He looked as if to say something to them, held up a finger, and then lowered his head again trying to catch his breath. Illiana giggled as Celeste walked up to the orc and placed her free hand on his back. He was soaked in sweat.

"I…I…came…to…tell…you…" he said between breaths.

"Take your time, Grogg," Celeste said with a smile to her padawan who was still giggling. "Whatever it is, you can…"

Grogg raised his head. "There are more jedi coming. They arrived yesterday and Kuro is bringing them here. They know Daneel," he managed to say in one quick breath.

Illiana stopped giggling and turned suddenly serious. "What other jedi?"

"From…his home…galaxy," the orc answered still breathing heavily. "He's with Demira now…and these jedi…they say they have news about…his sister."

Keeping her hand on the orcs back massaging it, Celeste looked up towards her old master's home across the valley. "They bring news about Zufa? Is she not with them?"

"No," Grogg replied shaking his head. He stood up straight and nodded his thanks to Celeste having caught his breath. "That's what has him worried. He said he recognized all three of their names when Demira told him. He fought with them on some world called Corellia…trained with two of them when he was just a padawan. They were close with him and his sister, and if she isn't with them then it means that something bad has happened to her…at least that is what he is thinking. I thought I would come to tell you before they arrived."

"Where is Daneel now?" Illiana asked pensively. The man had saved her from a fate worse than any nightmare most could imagine, and this news weighed heavily on her because she saw him not only as their leader and her savior, but as a mentor.

"Demira is comforting him…trying to convince him the news isn't necessarily bad even if she isn't with them…"

"But she doesn't believe it," Celeste concluded finishing the orc's statement. He nodded. Celeste knew Daneel and Demira better than the other two, and she knew that Demira would try to give the jedi some hope, however slight. She brought her hand to her forehead. "The one thing….really the only thing…that I have ever heard him mention missing from his old life is his sister." She looked at the other two. "Zufa began her jedi training less than a year after Daneel. When they were at the academy on Tython they were referred to as _the_ siblings by the other padawans because they were both so strong in the Force. Daneel was a member of their council when the accident in space brought him here, and she was serving with some alliance in his place…an alliance that he said was essential to any hope of peace…and she was chosen because, besides him, she was the only one capable of success. He loved his sister…but also admired her….he was very proud of her. He even keeps her message to him on his holocom…from when she was married. If something happened to her it would break his heart."

"I think it's already broken," Grogg said quietly. "I have not seen him so distressed before."

"One thing that concerns me is that Daneel came to this world by a strange and unusual set of circumstances," Illiana said drawing the looks of the other two. "I know he has a Force bond with Demira, and I believe him when he says that was a main reason he was brought here…to bring them together. But if these newcomers are from his galaxy…why are _they_ here? Is something happening or about to happen that compelled the Living Force to bring them to this world at this time? I don't know all the mysteries of the Force but I do know that things don't _just happen_…there is always a reason or purpose behind everything."

"Are we certain they are actually people he knows?" Grogg ventured. "Or could these be imposters that somehow learned about his past and are using it to harm him?"

Celeste handed her vibrosword to the orc, closed her eyes, and steepled her hands in front of her chest. She reached out through the Force and found the presence of the two calling themselves jedi. They were close. She opened her eyes and looked at Illiana and Grogg who were both staring at her.

"I can sense them," she answered their unspoken question. "And they feel like he does…strong in the Force. I believe they are the real thing...and they will be here soon."

"How soon?" the elf asked. But the answer came with a pointing of Grogg's finger in the air. All three looked up to see three majestic dragons approaching the valley. Illiana, having keen eyesight, spotted the three passengers riding the backs of the great leviathans. She looked at the others and nodded. They would meet the newcomers very soon.

* * *

Olivaw hopped off the back of Kuro as soon as she landed. The dragons had brought their three guests to a crevice that ran up the face of a mountainside, and in that crevice they landed near a giant tree that stood as tall as the mountain itself. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the smuggler ran a few meters and then knelt down to kiss the ground. He despised heights. Nar Shaddaa and Coruscant were two of the planets he hated to visit the most because everything was built so high, and because he conducted business on both frequently he habitually wore goggles that fed him telemetry for when he flew his ship. It helped some because the readouts clouded his vision just enough that he didn't actually have to see just how high he was, it was mostly numbers. But those had been left on the ship when the maelstrom suddenly appeared and Dorak performed his Force trick, and during the whole time he was riding on the back of the dragon he was all too aware of just how high he was from the ground. Kuro didn't help matters any. Every time he tried to adjust to get a better grip, she moved almost counter to him…or so he thought. It was a wonder he made it the entire trip without falling to his doom. With a last kiss on the sweet, wondrous, precious ground, he stood up while pulling his blaster from its holster. He spun on his heal and aimed right at where Kuro had landed…and hesitated. Instead of the giant black beast with wings, a beautiful woman with long black hair and clothing that hugged her luscious form stood there instead. In fact none of the dragons remained, in his eyes, as all three had assumed their humanoid forms. Kai'moira stood beside the high elven form of Tariolstrasz, and Dorak stood next to Vethsera in her kaldorei form. Olivaw tried to shake the cobwebs from his head. The blue of Kuro's eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and her soft, long, raven black hair billowed in the cool breeze. The blaster trembled in his hand.

"Damnit!" he yelled as he lowered the pistol. "It's much tougher to shoot you when you look all…pretty…like that!"

"Ollie! Put that thing away before you get yourself killed," Kai'moira admonished him.

"It's set to stun," he countered as he holstered the blaster. Kuro laughed at him as did Vethsera and Tariolstrasz. "It's not like it would do much against people like her anyway. She'd probably open her mouth and swallow the blaster bolt." He looked at the two jedi. "Besides…she kept squirming and moving around…I was lucky not to fall off!"

"You were never in any danger," Kuro countered with a huff. "I had to keep moving because you wouldn't sit still. It was all I could manage at times to ensure you _didn't_ fall off!"

"Yeah…well…" he began. The two dragons and two jedi all tensed as Kuro appeared to bristle in anticipation of what the smuggler was about to say. "Then…thank you…for not letting me fall."

Kuro's eyes widened as she was taken aback. Tariolstrasz gaped as Vethsera leaned over to whisper to Dorak. "Is this one of his moments?" Dorak nodded back to her with a smile that she returned.

"You are…welcome," the black dragon replied. She looked past the smuggler to see the three jedi, Celeste, Illiana, and Grogg, approaching from the other side of the jedi temple. "Ah…here come the others," she said as she pointed.

Olivaw turned to see a bulking beast of a man standing nearly two meters tall with green skin and musculature that would make even the mightiest nikto have second thoughts about fighting against him. Two tusks protruded from his lower jaw, and a long braid of black hair fell down his back. But what was most disturbing to the smuggler was what the man was wearing…robes like those worn by jedi. Behind the hulk were two of the most beautiful women Olivaw had ever seen. One looked human with wavy blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. She was very petite, but even with the robes she wore he could tell she was very fit with almost perfect proportions. The other one had long straight hair that appeared black in color, matching long eyebrows, and long pointed ears. She was about his height with a statuesque figure and wore jedi robes like the other two, but the undershirt was shorter leaving her midriff bare. And then there were her eyes…the deepest blue he had ever seen and that included all of the various species he had encountered. For the first time in months he found himself speechless.

"Pick your tongue up off the ground before it dries out, Ollie," a voice said to him. He turned his head to see Kai'moira grinning wickedly at him. "If I didn't know you better I would say you just fell in love."

"Not me sister," he replied turning back to stare at the woman with black hair as she and her companions approached. "I'll never settle down…you know that."

"Keep telling yourself that," she laughed. "But I think you just met your match."

"Not on your life," he responded. He pointed at the three approaching and turned his head slightly towards Kuro and the other dragons, but still keeping his eyes on the same woman. "Are they like you? I mean…do they also…you know…change into big bea…er…I mean…dragons?"

"They are jedi," Dorak answered as the three stopped before them. "I can feel the Force is strong in each of them…and I can sense Daneel's teaching within them." He looked down at the small human woman. "Especially in you…your connection to the Force is very strong. And I sense you are no longer his student."

Celeste bowed her head. "I am Celeste," she started. "I was Daneel's padawan until nine months ago. This woman beside me is my padawan, Illiana." The elf bowed her head at the newcomers, and Kai'moira stifled a giggle as she noticed the smuggler blush. "Beside her is Grogg…Daneel's new padawan."

"I am Master Dorak," he responded. He pointed to the chiss. "This is Master Kai'moira, and the embarrassed one beside her is…"

"Who's embarrassed?" the smuggler interrupted. He walked over to Illiana and reached out to hold her hand. She looked at Celeste and then the others as he brought her hand to his mouth…and kissed it. "I am Captain Olivaw…privateer, patriot, and connoisseur of all things exquisite and beautiful." He looked up into Illiana's eyes and smiled warmly.

"He's also a scoundrel…a smuggler…and a notorious charmer," Kai'moira added causing the zabrak to glare at her. She ignored him and looked at Illiana and Celeste. "He's been known to charm the pants off many unsuspecting ladies across the entire galaxy. Best to be wary around him," she said with a chuckle. The two women looked at each other.

"I am deeply hurt you would say that about me, Kai," Olivaw countered. He looked back into Illiana's eyes. "I would never do anything for you…or to you…without your expressed consent and approval."

Celeste and Illiana giggled drawing a surprised look from the zabrak. "Oh…I think your friend is right…you are a dangerous one," Illiana said with a smile. She walked up closer to Olivaw and placed her hand on his cheek and leaned closer to his face…her lips almost touching his. Her touch was soft, she smelled sweet to his nose, and her breath was warm and inviting. "I'll be especially careful around you," she purred. "Sometimes I just have these uncontrollable urges and I…well…" then she leaned back and looked at the two jedi. "No worries," she said to them as she returned to stand next to Celeste and Grogg. "We have dealt with his kind before."

Kuro laughed drawing the smuggler's glare. It took him a moment to realize that everyone was staring at him. He turned to look at Illiana who was smiling wickedly at him. "What…just happened?"

"I think you've just been made," Dorak said placing his hand on Olivaw's shoulder. "If you thought Kai was tough on you, I think these two will be much, much worse." He left the smuggler speechless as he walked towards Celeste. "Where is Daneel? We were hoping to see him."

The three local jedi looked at each other and then to Dorak. Kai'moira approached to stand beside her fellow master. "He's still at his home with his wife, Demira," Celeste replied.

The two elder jedi looked at each other and then at Celeste. "Daneel is married?" they asked together. She nodded. "When did he marry?" Kai'moira asked. When she last saw him he was a member of the jedi council…a body that frowned upon romantic attachments amongst the jedi. They feared that love could lead to more dangerous emotions like jealousy and anger which led to the dark side of the Force. That Daneel had actually married meant that he also have fallen in love…something he would never had done when he was on the council.

"He married Demira I believe a little over two years ago," Celeste answered but quickly returning to what was bothering not only her but the other two with her as well. "He knows you are here…and that you bring news about his sister. I must ask…is it bad news?"

Dorak looked at the ground. "Why would you ask us that?" Kai'moira asked her.

"Because he did not sense her with you," Grogg responded. "He feels that if you are here and bring news of his sister…then the news cannot be good. Demira comforts him now because he is certain something has happened to her."

The chiss woman looked at Dorak. He glanced at her and nodded before looking back at the ground at his feet. Kai'moira looked at the three jedi standing before her. "Zufa was killed a few weeks ago when her ship was attacked by imperials."

"My sister…is dead?" All turned to see where Daneel and Demira had walked around the near edge of the tree, but no one had noticed them approach. The grand master had fallen to one knee, and the elf was kneeling next to him holding his hand. He looked up at her. "It is true…my sister is gone…I can sense the truth of it." Master Dorak walked over to kneel next to Daneel and Demira. He looked up at the human jedi. "Dorak? Is that you, my old friend?" he said.

"Yes," he answered with a nod. "I had hoped to give you this news differently, but she is…she…" He lowered his head.

Demira looked up to see the blue skinned woman approach and kneel beside the human. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and looked at her. "I am sorry…for both of you."

"Kai?" Daneel asked looking at her.

"It is good to see you again, Daneel," Kai'moira said attempting to smile. "I do wish it were under different circumstances, but I am glad to see you are alive and living well." She looked at the elf holding Daneel's hand. She wore red colored robes like a jedi, and her dark hair she wore in a ponytail. "You are Demira? Daneel's wife?"

"I am," the mage answered softly.

"What about escape pods? She could have survived," he said interrupting the women. Dorak shook his head. "Are you certain?"

"I am certain," Dorak replied placing a hand on Daneel's shoulder. "Your sister…my wife…we burned her body just days before…before…" He looked at the miraluka. "I miss her, Daneel. I miss her so much."

"You are the man she married?" Daneel asked. The human nodded in response as tears welled in his eyes. Demira hugged her husband tighter. "Why did she never tell me it was you? Of all the men in the galaxy I had hoped…it was you. Somehow I sensed it…but she would never tell me."

"That…that was me," Dorak replied through tears. "I didn't want you to worry about us falling to the dark side because of our love for each other. I didn't…I…"

"Were afraid I would tell the rest of the council," Daneel said completing Dorak's statement. The human nodded again. "Zufa knew I would never betray her to the council so she felt comfortable telling me, but you...I would never have told them about you. I loved my sister….and I loved you. If ever there were two jedi who could defy the logic of the council with their love…it was the two of you." He squeezed Demira's hand. "It was your example that opened my heart…why I fell in love with Demira…and I have had no regrets about it…I love her and always will. I am married to this amazing and wonderful woman. Zufa…you…taught me that the order was wrong about love…and I am the happiest I have ever been."

Dorak looked back into the visor on Daneel's face. "She never gave up looking for you…you know? She always knew you were still alive…she felt it…somehow she knew you were still out there…somewhere…and she always kept looking even when…when others gave up…when I gave up. She…she never did…"

Daneel knelt down on both knees and embraced the human. Dorak cried into Daneel's shoulder as Kai'moira ran her hands along his back. "I miss her," he cried. Demira's eyes welled with tears as she embraced both men…never saying a word. She didn't have to.

A short distance away Vethsera lowered her head. She had been told the story and knew this moment would come. Knowing Daneel as she did, she knew the man would remain strong despite what had happened, and her heart warmed at seeing him…in his own pain…comforting another. The other two dragons also bowed their heads in respect for the jedi grand master who have saved them both from death. Ahead of them Grogg held his hands before him and whispered a prayer to his ancestors as was common with orcs. Celeste walked over to join Daneel, Dorak, and the two women. Demira looked at her and reached up to pull the petite human into the embrace. Tears swelled in her eyes for her former master as she joined them. Illiana stood pensively near Olivaw as she watched and listened. Her heart ached for the man who saved her life. With a heavy sigh she looked at the smuggler beside her who had been surprisingly quiet since Daneel's arrival. She noticed tears ran down his cheeks as he looked at his friends. Tears he refused to wipe away.

"Why do you cry?" she asked him.

Olivaw looked at her and attempted to smile. "Daneel is a miraluka and so is incapable of crying." He looked back at the group hug before him. "I cry _for_ him."


	4. The Smuggler and the Elf

**_Part Four: The Smuggler and the Elf_**

Daneel stood on a balcony of the second floor of the jedi temple. He looked stoically out across the plain towards his home he shared with Demira. Several hours had passed since he learned of his sister's death, and after calming Dorak, his old friend from their academy days, he came up to this place to be alone for a while. With his arms crossed over his chest he breathed normally as his white hair billowed in the late afternoon breeze. He thought back to the last time he had seen his sister on Tython. Both stood near the docking bays in the orbital station wearing traditional brocart robes. Zufa's brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her visor was the same type and style he wore and continued to wear to this day. He was about to leave on the trip that eventually led him to this world, and she was departing for the planet Ilum to help with a crisis that had developed regarding adegan crystals. They embraced one last time before parting, and before he let her go he quietly asked her the name of her husband. She smiled coyly at him and refused to tell him anything except that he would like her spouse and that both men had a lot in common. At the door of his ship's docking bay he turned back to wave good-bye not knowing it would be the last time he would ever see her again.

Now as he looked out across the valley he found some solace in that she was one with the Force, but that knowledge did little to ease the aching of his heart. At least now he knew who she had married, and that man was with the others on the main level. He and Dorak trained together for most of their years as padawans. The human was a weaponmaster even in those early years having mastered the various lightsaber combat forms. He preferred to fight with two individual blades, but he was still almost unmatched with just a single blade or with a saberstaff. It was he who was chosen to lead the strike team against the Emperor of the Sith Empire, and it was he who was successful. Many of the fighting skills Daneel knew were because Dorak had taught them to him. And as he thought about his marriage to Zufa, Daneel was pleased that his sister had picked Dorak for in his mind there was no better match for his sibling. She had been happy in her marriage, and now Daneel could see why because he knew that his friend grieved as much or more than he did over her death. They loved each other greatly.

Suddenly Daneel chuckled. Reminiscing about the past jarred a memory, and with it he realized that Dorak and Zufa had courted each other and loved each other a long time and right under his very nose. The two men were sitting on a ledge over a waterfall not far from the academy building on Tython. They had just finished their lessons for the day and both had been given the rest of the afternoon to explore the area. Near the academy was a small stream that ran from a shallow pond at the base of the waterfall. They were exploring the edges of that pond when they found a cave, and both feeling adventurous, they had followed the cave around several bends and inclines until they had emerged just above the waterfall. The cliff still rose behind them as they sat on the ledge looking down at other padawans as they explored or followed the bidding of their masters. Both were headstrong with aspirations of being heroes in the galaxy and the jedi order. Where Dorak was the master of the martial arts, Daneel was the studious one, and at times like this they would debate about which focus would serve better if the cold war between the Republic and the Empire ever erupted into full-out war.

This day was no different until Daneel noticed that Dorak had suddenly grown quiet. He followed the other's gaze to find Zufa down below as she assisted another young woman near the edge of the pond. The other one was new, and at the time Daneel thought Dorak's attention was drawn to her, but looking back now he realized that even then the man was smitten with his sister. But at the time, a chiss was very uncommon to find in Republic space, and even more was one training to become a jedi, and he thought Dorak's attention had been drawn to the newcomer. But there she was, Kai'moira, new to the order and already befriended by Zufa. As the rest of their training continued they grew even closer, the four of them. And while no one else ever knew it, Daneel and Kai'moira had even lost their virginity to each other. Never was their bond so close to calling it romantic, but both understood they had physical needs and from time to time during the following years whenever they would meet they would satisfy those physical urges. Both believed in the jedi code and so never entertained the thought of a romantic relationship between them, their physical interludes were just that with little emotional attachment. Of course there was the heat of the moment and their sexual encounters were intense and sometimes passionate, but afterwards they both knew that they were jedi and they answered to a higher calling. A smile crossed his face as Daneel realized that he had been so very wrong, and it took meeting Demira to prove it. Kai'moira would always be a friend, but his wife would always be the woman he loved. He reached out through the Force and thanked his sister for teaching him perhaps the most valuable lesson he could ever learn, that when he met the right woman and felt those pangs of love in his chest to allow that emotional attachment to grow into something wonderful and miraculous and life changing. Being that she was one with the Force, Daneel knew that out there…somewhere…Zufa heard him.

After a few hours of solitude Daneel rejoined the others, and they held an impromptu wake for his fallen sister. Kitali and Zharn had arrived while the jedi grand master reminisced about his sister, and they were introduced to the newcomers. Not surprisingly, Grogg gravitated to Kai'moira and Celeste to Dorak. Grogg had an interest in the healing arts, and being that she was a master healer, Kai'moira and he conversed throughout the night about the various healing aspects of the Force and how to utilize those to help others in need. As for Celeste, she noticed right away that Dorak had two lightsabers on his belt, one at each hip. She approached the weaponmaster and showed him the saberstaff she had crafted, and soon they were talking about different stances and forms. However, although both jedi sought the elders for knowledge about the Force, in the end the conversation for both gravitated to the same subject…what was Daneel like as they grew up at the academy? The grand master tried to deny many things that Dorak and Kai'moira told the eager youngsters, but as the night progressed what started as sorrow turned into a night of revelry. Even when Demira learned that Daneel and Kai'moira had a past physical relationship…something neither Dorak nor Olivaw even knew about…she held no jealousy towards the chiss woman. Instead they teased the miraluka into blushing more than had ever before in his life. Some of the revelations about his sexual past and present shocked even the adventurous shaman couple. However, when the night drew to a close, the elder jedi and the smuggler were given rooms at the temple that would become their new home on Azeroth. Kuro remained with the jedi while the other dragons flew back to Wyrmrest Temple. Daneel and Demira walked home in the moonlight, holding hands, and still as much in love as they were when they first met. And for all those that knew her and for those that had just learned about her, Zufa was greatly admired…and greatly missed. But in his heart, Daneel was at peace.

* * *

Much like the previous day, Illiana stood at the island counter cutting pieces of fruit for her breakfast just as her master, Celeste, had done. Today, however, she was fully dressed in dark brown robes and her hair was neatly brushed falling down along her shoulders. She took some of the fruit and used a juicer created by Windi to fashion a drink to help her wake up. With a small addition of some nectar she poured her concoction into a glass and sat on a stool. She was about to bite into a leftover slice when Olivaw walked into the room. She held the fruit before her mouth as she watched him walk towards the island counter. Besides his trousers, boots, and the two holsters with his blaster pistols, the man wore nothing and was busily working a towel along each of the horns on his head. Illiana slowly lowered the slice of fruit as she watched the muscles in his arms and torso flex as he approached apparently more intent on drying his head than seeing who stood on the other side of the counter. Like Daneel and Dorak, the smuggler possessed a medium build, but the elf was surprised at how toned his physique was since before now she had seen him only wearing a full golden brown plasteel chestplate under a long black duster…and he wasn't a jedi. She couldn't help herself as she drank in every inch of his body, and when he stopped at the counter and looked at her while he placed the towel on the countertop, she shyly looked away blushing. Either he was used to such a reaction or he was kind enough not to point out her slight embarrassment.

"What do you folks do for breakfast around here?" he asked her with a smile. "I don't know about the others but I'm actually hungry enough I could eat a whole nerf."

"I don't know what a nerf is, but I usually eat some fruit," she answered pointing at the plate before her. A few slices remained, and he looked at it and scrunched his nose. "You don't like fruit?"

"Only in my drinks," he replied. "And especially this morning. I haven't eaten something solid for three days. Those night elven people…all they ate were fruits and berries. I have a craving for meat."

"Well…I don't have any meat prepared," she started holding her glass. "But I can make a fruit drink if you would like?" He nodded with a smile as she took the remaining fruit from the plate and prepared to make him a glass similar to hers. "While you wait…how did you sleep?"

"Actually really good," he answered as he sat on a stool. "You jedi have really comfortable beds, and I don't know if you noticed, but this tree…it's a tree right?" She nodded back with a smile. "Well…it hums. Did you know that? It almost reminded me of the hum of the engines on my ship. I almost felt like I was back on my baby as we flew through hyperspace. Best sleep I've had in weeks."

"That humming I think comes from the sap that runs through its veins," she said as she added the nectar to the drink she prepared for the smuggler. She found herself stealing glances at him and then quickly turning away when their eyes met. For the most part he was looking at various areas of the room like he was mapping out escape routes or possible pratfalls that might trap him. With a final squeeze of honey she stirred the fruit concoction with a spoon and then handed the glass to the zabrak. "Here you go…just like the one I'm drinking," she said smiling. He accepted the glass with a nod and took a drink. He finished the sip with a grimace and placed the glass back on the counter shaking his head and shoulders. "Is there a problem?" she asked with concern.

"This….this tastes like bantha piss," he managed to say. "What's in this?"

Dejected and taken aback, Illiana frowned at him. "I think it's quite delicious," she retorted and then proceeded to take a gulp of her own. After she finished she placed her half empty glass on the counter. "It has three different sweet fruits and a squeeze of honey. I drink a glass every morning." She raised her chin and looked down at him.

Olivaw cocked his head to the side and sighed deeply. "Perhaps it's an acquired taste," he said as he reached for his glass. He brought it back to his mouth and paused. "Honey you said…right?" She nodded as he took another drink. This time his grimace was not as severe, but his whole body shook as he lowered the glass to the countertop. "Smooth," he strained to say. "I've tasted much worse in my travels."

Illiana crossed her arms over her chest and said in a huff, "If you don't like it you don't have to keep making funny faces about it."

"It's not that at all, sweetness," he said with a smile. "This is just a new world with new flavors. I'll adapt as I always have and in a day or two that will be the best tasting thing ever. Always works out that way." He downed the rest of the glass, stood and turned, and his whole body shook again with a slight kick of his left foot. "Yeah-hah!" he shouted.

As Olivaw was talking, Illiana stared at the countertop angry with herself for even having a slight interest in this man. She loved this drink and he insulted it which felt like he was insulting her. But as he stood from the stool, she couldn't help but look up at him and her eyes widened at what she saw. From his left shoulder to his right hip and covering at least three quarters of his back was a single scar. She winced as she imagined the pain he must have felt when he received it, and without thinking her right index finger raised and through her robes traced the scar on her own chest. "Did it hurt?" she asked him quietly.

The zabrak turned and looked at the elf, and in resumed embarrassment she looked back down at the counter. "Did what hurt?" he asked her as he returned to the stool. She looked at him timidly and pointed slightly at his shoulder. "Oh…you mean my scar?" She nodded to him. "Not really…well…I shouldn't say that…I didn't notice it until we got all of the children out…then, yeah…it hurt like hell."

"Children?"

"It was on Ord Mantell," he said. "The separatists had bombed a small village including a few storage hangars. One of those was housing a bunch of refugee kids, so me and a republic soldier went in and rescued the kids before the building fell in and crushed them. It was with the last few that a burning support beam collapsed and scraped my back as we left the building. I knew at the time it had hit me, but the separatists were closing in on our position, so we had to get those last few kids another few hundred meters from the village before we knew they would be safe. The seps didn't care about the kids anyway…or us. They were after the hidden stash of armaments under the village, but their attack destroyed it as well. We were maybe a couple hundred meters from the village before I knew that my back was even on fire, and that was because one of the kids started screaming and pointing. Until that moment I wasn't even aware I was hit that hard…or on fire." He looked at Illiana and smiled. "I had forgotten all about that scar. I even thought a few times about having it removed and replaced with synthetic skin, but I just never got around to it…and now I guess it's too late even do that any more." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the glass. "Could you…make me another?"

"Are you sure?" she asked finding herself greatly intrigued about him again. His manners earlier were rude regarding the drink, but hearing that he was injured saving children…suddenly she didn't see the brash and rude man but a hero willing to risk his life to save others. Was that why the jedi tolerated him…even respected him? Was it why she began feeling a slight ache in her chest as she looked at him?

"New world…new tastes…and no prospect of ever returning home…might as well start adapting now," he said with a smile and a nod and lifting his empty glass. "Bartender…fill me up."

She did as he asked, and when he had his fresh drink he stood up and nodded for her to join him. As he took the first couple steps she refilled her own glass and hurried to catch up to him. He stood perhaps a couple inches taller than she, and now that she walked beside him she felt goosebumps rise on her arms and her heart began to beat a little faster. He smelled good, and she was surprised she had not noticed this earlier. As they walked through the dining area and out towards the small courtyard outside the temple, she noticed that with each drink he took he shook less. Was he trying to be polite or was he honest in that he could adapt to the taste that fast and was actually enjoying it? Kai'moira had warned her the previous night that she thought the smuggler had his eye on her sexually, and that he was very good with charming those women he found desirable. When they walked outside they could hear the sounds of lightsabers clashing. The sun was bright and few clouds dotted the sky. The morning air was crisp but not cold, and as they walked towards the sounds of combat she noticed that at times he would look up towards the sky wistfully.

They walked around one of the great roots of the tree to see Dorak and Celeste sparring some hundred paces from them. Standing off to the side across from her and Olivaw was Daneel wearing the same outfit he wore the day before when climbing the mountain with Grogg. Like the smuggler, Dorak was shirtless with a muscular torso and arms. Although Illiana knew the man preferred to use two lightsabers in combat, this morning he wielded only one with a blue blade as he stood across from Celeste. He was a foot taller than the human woman, and his superior reach was obvious to the padawan. Celeste, wearing her typical shorts and halter top that she always wore when sparring, stretched out with her violet bladed saberstaff as she lunged at the taller fighter, and he easily sidestepped the woman's attack. Illiana stared wide-eyed. Her master she could not match when they sparred. In their first encounter as enemies, Celeste had purposely lost their battle as she avoided several blows that could have killed Illiana, but at the time both believed that her death would result in the death of the planet. They knew differently now, and Illiana had become Celeste's padawan, but still she could not best the smaller human. Now as she watched her master fight with a jedi master from the original order, Illiana was awed at the prowess Dorak possessed. As much a novice she appeared against her master, Celeste now seemed the same against the alien human. Dorak barely moved at all as Celeste tried again and again to enter his defenses. And Illiana felt no sense that Dorak was trying to mock her master, he was simply that good at lightsaber combat. They, as jedi, still had much to learn if Dorak was any example of most jedi from their galaxy. Until now Daneel had been the only one they knew, and he awed them time and again with what he could do. Illiana simply thought that being he was a grand master he was the pinnacle of what it meant to be a jedi, but now she was not so certain. Perhaps they all had much to learn to equal the true jedi.

After Celeste attempted another lunge at Dorak, he raised his hand and brought an end to their match. Illiana and Olivaw were too far away to hear what was said; but, calm and seemingly rested, Dorak smiled at Celeste whose abdominal muscles reflected her heavy breathing. He was telling her something about their bout and she nodded accepting his suggestions apparently meant to improve her technique. She was also smiling, and Illiana understood why. The small human wanted to learn to become a better fighter and Dorak was said to be a weaponmaster. Who better to learn from? Daneel replaced Celeste in the arena, and the two master jedi squared off. Within a few seconds both men lunged at each other, and even with her vision enhanced through the Force, Illiana could not keep up with their movements. Auburn and white hair spun in a visual cacophony with splashes of blue and green as they attacked and countered, dodged and parried, and each man seemingly an equal match for the other. Illiana's eyes widened more at the sudden realization that she had never seen Daneel move so fast.

"Why is it that all the prettiest women I meet are jedi?" she heard Olivaw say beside her.

She looked to her side to see him sipping from his glass as he watched the fight between jedi masters. Was he so used to seeing them that he could not comprehend the brilliance exhibited before him as the two men sparred? Were they that commonplace in that far off galaxy? But as she looked more closely at him, she realized he wasn't watching them at all, but instead was focused on Celeste as she used a towel to dry her face and arms and then pat the sweat from her finely toned stomach. That was too much for her.

"Are women and sex all you care about?" she asked. He looked over to her and raised his hairless eyebrow. She pointed at the duel between Dorak and Daneel. "I mean…right there are two men fighting with such precision and speed that I can't keep up with them…and all you can think about is my master and how pretty she is and how much you would like to fuck her? Or me?"

Olivaw shrugged his shoulders. "All I see is a blur of colors," he answered. "If I tried to keep up with them I would probably go blind." She turned her head to the side while keeping her eyes on his. "Look jedi are…jedi…where we come from. There are what…a few thousand of them? And they all move like that." He patted one of his blasters with his free hand. "I'm good with these, probably one of the best in the whole galaxy, but even I'm not stupid enough to try to take on a jedi or a sith. I've seen Dorak, Daneel, and even Kai block blaster bolts with their sabers and sometimes right back at the shooter. And Zufa…when she got her saberstaff twirling…you could stand an entire army behind that woman and not a single shot would get through her defenses. They have abilities that most of us will never possess, and to try and understand it sometimes can make one's head hurt…a lot. Their kind is special…and to have even one of them as a friend means a great deal…and worse if you have one as an enemy." He took another sip from his drink. "So I concentrate on what I can see, and this morning what I see are two beautiful women who are jedi."

Illiana looked back towards the two masters to see them smiling and bowing to each other. Their bout was over, and she had missed most of it. Suddenly it dawned on her…he admired the jedi. She looked back at him to see him staring at her. "What?" she asked.

"Just wondering about my question," he stated nonchalantly. "You, your master, Kai, Zufa, all of you are amongst the most beautiful women I have ever met and all of you are jedi. Why is that I wonder?"

"Are you trying to seduce me?" she bluntly asked, but he didn't seem to react to her outburst. "Kai warned me that you were quite the charmer."

"Wouldn't work so I never try on jedi," he answered looking back towards the two masters. He pointed to his head and said, "You jedi can sense all of my charms a parsec away."

She followed his gaze as Celeste replaced Daneel facing off against Dorak. "I don't think I'll be like they are," she said quietly changing the subject again. "I'm good with using the Force, but not in lightsaber combat."

"I wouldn't say that," he said. She looked at him to see if he was joking with her, but he still watched the jedi in the arena looking completely serious. "You have to remember we grew up in another place. Those two have been training to become jedi since they were children."

"So was I, and yet I cannot best my master and even she is no match for them," Illiana replied.

"But you were trained by an old sith," Olivaw said finally looking at her. "That's what Daneel told me last night, anyway. I bet the only Force user you faced while training was him…right?" She nodded. "Those guys were training with others like them to face sith. Sith are trained by weaning out the weakest from the strongest. Those that are too weak die, and the sith don't care because what is left are only the strongest. Jedi do something along the same lines, but those not powerful enough are made scholars, farmers, administrative people. They don't kill the weak but place them in areas that suit their strongest attributes." He looked back at the three jedi sparring. "Daneel is a good teacher…that I have complete faith in…and I imagine he's been training you and the others to face those forces that exist on this world not the sith. Like that couple last night…the big green one and the blue woman with horns and the strange feet. Shamans I think they were called. Nothing like Force users, but just as powerful in other ways. Daneel has been training you in how to face them…I mean not them specifically…but others like them with similar powers if the need ever arose. Dorak and Kai, I imagine, would have a more difficult time fighting that couple than you or your master. It's all a matter of where you live and what powers exist and are used in the world around you. Your training has just been focused in another direction than theirs…your abilities applied differently."

"Is that what happened to you?" she asked him thinking to what he said about failed jedi. "Were you too weak to become a jedi?"

The smuggler chuckled. "No…I don't have those abilities. I'm just a plain old zabrak…no Force in me, sweet thing."

"Then how did you come to be amongst them?" she asked still looking at him. He turned to face her, and she matched his movement. "How did you meet them if you were never trained to be a jedi?"

"That's a long story."

"I'd still like to hear it," she answered.

"Ok," he replied gesturing with his hand towards the mountainside nearby. "Want to go for a walk? It might help pass the time while you listen to my boring story." She nodded yes and, after placing their glasses in a nook of the tree root, they started walking towards the mountain side by side. "Where to begin…I know…when I was a soldier."

"You were a soldier?" she asked with wide eyes. She never imagined he was a warrior…not after some of the stories the jedi shared the previous night. By their accounts she thought he might be some kind of outlaw.

He nodded. "Back during the last war. Joined up with the Republic military about a year before the imps sacked Coruscant. I wanted to be a hero. I was good too…was being trained to join up with Special Forces. But near the end of the war the ship I was stationed aboard was shot down. My squadmates and I jettisoned aboard three escape pods and landed on this hunk of rock near the edge of Hutt space. We signaled the fleet for help, but they left us behind. Didn't even try to sugarcoat it, just told us things were too dangerous and too close to Hutt space and that we were on our own. That admiral even had the gall to wish us luck and that if we survived to remember to make it back to the military to debrief on the battle. Sanctimonious bastard." He looked down to see that she had wrapped her arms around his left arm as they walked. He raised his eyebrow, but she only smiled. It felt…nice. "Ok," he said with a smile. "We did survive, if just barely. We found this abandoned compound and holed up in the entry level for about two weeks before some slug and his entourage arrived. Seems that the compound was where they hid their illegal stockpiles, and when they saw us they came in guns blazing. Shot four of us down in the first volley. That left me and two other guys. We took cover, but in the next round the other two were killed. So there I was…all by my lonesome against about a hundred cartel thugs and their worm of a leader. But I still had these," he said patting one of his blasters. "They came in again, but I had better cover this time. I held them off for the next three days before Fa'athra, the Hutt that was leading them, decided he'd lost too many men." He leaned over towards Illiana and smiled. "I shot over sixty of them in those three days."

"Incredible," she said smiling warmly. Was that a twinkle in those deep blue eyes? Olivaw felt a tightness in his chest, and then shook it off.

"That's what Fa'athra said," Olivaw answered with a chuckle. "He shouted in this booming voice that he wanted to meet the man that was worth sixty of his face to face. He called a truce, but I wouldn't leave my cover. Damned Hutt actually came out into the open himself to meet with me." He looked down at Illiana and noticed she was watching the ground as they walked, but on her face was still this warm smile. Smiling himself he continued. "That was the day I became a gun-for-hire. Worked for Fa'athra for the next four years as his enforcer."

"You didn't return to the military?" she asked looking into his eyes. He shook his head. "Why? You survived…why not return?"

"Because they left us to die on that rock," the smuggler replied. "I was the last of my squad. In war you don't fight for the side you belong to or the officers who give the orders…you fight for the man or woman standing beside you. When Fa'athra offered me that job as his hired gun…I had no more of those men or women that I fought with left. So I took the job and fought for myself…a lone gun…a lone survivor."

"But how did you meet the jedi? Were they with this Fa'athra too?" she asked.

Olivaw chuckled. "No…they weren't with that slug." She furrowed her brow at him and they stopped walking. "Hutts are…or I should say most of them are…gangsters and criminals. If a jedi had any dealings with Hutts it was usually to stop their illegal activities or free some of the slaves the Hutts traded with the sith."

"You were an outlaw?" Illiana suddenly felt uncertain…the stories from the previous night must be true if he was admitting this part of his history to her now. Did that make him less than before? Or was he like her…controlled against his will and redeemed. She wanted to hear more about this strange man.

"Still am…but not with the Hutts any more," he answered with a grin. Her brow remained furrowed. "Ok…so I bend the law on occasion…but nothing that harms innocents." Illiana lowered her head. "My last job for Fa'athra was as an escort for one of his smuggling runs near imperial space. I found out that Fa'athra's goons were running spice to settler worlds. Now…I don't care what drugs some people do…don't understand why they do drugs…but that's their choice. But this shipment was foodstuffs that were laced with spice. The settlers would never know they were getting hooked on the shit until it was too late…so I spaced the cargo and the crew…and stole the ship. That was the last time I worked for any Hutt."

Illiana looked back up at him, but with a stern expression. "But you said you are still an outlaw."

"Yeah…smuggling medical supplies and foodstuffs…the clean kind and not laced with narcotics…and some guns to worlds where the fighting is the worst. Imps and Reps fight against each other and more often than not the little people are the ones made to suffer the most. Their homes are destroyed, their places of business or farms are burned or blown up, and their lives forever changed. Reps have laws against supplying arms and supplies to worlds behind enemy lines and Imps don't take kindly to smugglers helping out those they mean to squash and rule. So I break the laws to help those folks that are basically helpless. And on occasion I'll also do a high paying job or two that happens to be on those same worlds…for the extra credits." He smiled at her, but her expression didn't change. "Look…at heart I'm still that soldier that joined the military all those years ago, but I'm more able to help those that need it most by being a smuggler and outlaw than as another lackey with a blaster shooting at the enemy. And I no longer care about being a hero…heroes are the ones that get killed in action. The jedi feel the same way…I met Dorak on my first trip to Ord Mantel, and I've been helping the order ever since. That was about eight years ago."

"I suppose breaking laws to help those in need is a noble thing," she said quietly and somewhat confused. "It just seems so odd that you would have to live like that. From what I have learned I thought the Republic worked to help those in need while the sith just warred for power and revenge against the jedi. The benevolence of the righteous against the tyranny of the evil. Yet what you are telling me is that war in your galaxy is not so different than war here on Azeroth…just on a bigger scale."

"The Republic and the Sith Empire are still just two big governments fighting over a difference of ideals and control over territory. From what that big green guy told me…Zharn I think his name is…your Alliance and Horde aren't really any different. Fighting over ideals and territory…just another war with different people and different governments but the result is still the same…the little people are the ones who suffer the most. In times of war things get cloudy and doing what's right sometimes means breaking a law or two," he replied looking up at towards the mountaintop. "Like that admiral that left us to die. He was just following the orders he was given from his superiors because it was in the bounds of military law. Was it right? For him and the countless others he saved that day it was…but for me? The law sucked. So I feel just fine being an outlaw for those in the minority that are left behind like I was…left behind to die. No one deserves that fate." He looked back down into her face. Her expression had softened and that tightness in his chest returned…and this time he couldn't shake it off. "Ah…this talk of war is depressing. What about you? Why don't you tell me more about your life…where you grew up and trained under that sith…how you met Daneel and the others…I want to hear your story."

Illiana looked down at the ground. "You'd probably find it boring."

"Not on your life, sweet thing," he said lifting her chin with his finger until their eyes met. "Come on…tell me about…you." He smiled as her eyes lit up.

* * *

Daneel stood with his back to Dorak and Celeste as he watched Olivaw and Illiana walking together near the mountain close to the temple. He had first personally met the smuggler on the world of Voss. He was there to try and convince the Voss to side with the Republic in the war against the Sith Empire, and Olivaw was there on a top secret mission for a Republic senator. Coincidentally their goals crossed, and Daneel was surprised to learn the zabrak had once been a member of the military and was even considered a prime candidate for Havoc Squad…an elite unit of the Special Forces branch of the military. Though they did not meet up again until the conflict exploded into full-out war on Corellia, Daneel had learned from Dorak that he worked with the smuggler on several occasions as had Zufa and Kai'moira. It was on Corellia they were all reunited and had formed a bond that helped them greatly during that struggle. A tension did grow between Kai and Ollie after their time on Corellia, and Daneel still was not certain the source of that conflict…only that from that point on in their friendship the zabrak was always teasing the chiss about where she was not blue. Daneel grinned as he knew there was not a single place on her body where she was not blue.

Behind him he heard the footsteps of Dorak and Celeste as they faced each other. The hum of their lightsabers filled the air around him. His lips curled into a smile as he decided now was the time for his former padawan to teach his old friend a new trick…one that he and Celeste had devised together over the past few months. He turned around and looked at the two combatants.

"Celeste," he said with mirth. "Show Dorak the new form we have been practicing."

Dorak cast a glance at his old friend. "The new form, master?" Celeste asked.

"The new one," he answered.

"But master…it's not really a…" she started.

"No…no…just…show this old weaponmaster what we've come up with," Daneel said with a wide grin.

Dorak tilted his head at Daneel, but then looked back at the small human who had changed her stance. "Developed some new tricks, Daneel?" he asked.

"I'll let Celeste answer that in her own fashion," came the response.

Dorak faced Celeste assuming the opening stance of his favored Juyo form, but she stood nonchalantly before him holding her saberstaff extinguished and to her left. Suddenly the small woman moved as if to jump, and then rolled towards him. He brought his blade down just in time to block her single active blade she activated in mid-roll. But as he moved to counter, she spun and the blade extinguished only to have the other blade ignite. Caught off-guard, Dorak bounded back a step, but she responded by lunging towards him with both blades active and spinning in her hands. Dorak switched to the Soresu form, but again she entered his defenses switching blades off and on as she moved towards him. He switched to Ataru but still she kept him on the defensive. Her form was not like any other he had experienced and repeatedly he was forced to back away from her. Even trying to circle around her or jump over her proved futile as she was able to move around him with ease and still strike at any second from any position. He could not enter her defenses as time and again she switched active blades as she wished, or kept both active, or extinguished both causing him to block empty air instead of her weapon's blade. He found it difficult to believe this was the same opponent he was sparring with earlier and held at bay with ease. What was her secret to this new form? A cough from his old friend stopped their bout, and as she stood proudly before him and breathing normally, Dorak realized that this time he was out of breath. He looked over at his old friend who was grinning widely.

"That is impressive," Dorak said with a smile to the small human. "I have never faced a form like that. What do you call it?"

Celeste looked over at Daneel who responded with a slight nod, and then back over at Dorak. "Like I was trying to say before…it's not really a form at all."

Daneel walked over to stand next to the two humans and placed his hand on Dorak's shoulder. "In our galaxy where lightsaber combat is…for lack of a better phrase…commonplace…here it's not. So to adapt to what we face on this world with the likes of mages, shamans, paladins, warlocks, druids, and other disciplines we developed this new type of fighting," he said.

"The form without form," Celeste added drawing Dorak's gaze. "None of the traditional lightsaber forms exist on this world, so we came up with the idea of fighting with no form and almost purely instinctual letting the Force guide us in combat."

"No fixed positions or movements," Daneel commented. "It was actually Zharn's suggestion once when I was teaching him various forms for use with weapons that are common on this world like swords, axes, hammers, and others. No two warriors use the same techniques and in battle sticking to a strict form can get one killed. So the fluidity of this new style…of having no style…can prove effective on the battlefield should we find ourselves in one."

Dorak bowed to Celeste and smiled. "Then it is time I learned this as well since returning home seems like an impossibility. And I look forward to our lessons as you teach me this new form…without form."

"Only if you continue to teach me the normal forms," Celeste answered gleefully. "I still have much to learn in using Juyo, Soresu, Ataru, and Shien."

"Agreed," Dorak replied. He looked around them and then spotted Olivaw and Illiana in the distance. They were facing each other and talking. "Looks like Ollie found himself a new girlfriend already," he said while pointing with his chin.

Celeste turned to see her padawan and the smuggler just as the two reached out and held hands. She smiled and looked at Daneel. "Is this something I should be worried about, master?"

The jedi grand master only nodded as he spoke. "No, Celeste, it's not something to worry about. I sense that for both of them this is a good thing. Each has a past they have been struggling to reconcile with…perhaps together they can succeed where alone they have failed."


	5. Raeva's Discovery

**_Part Five: Raeva's Discovery_**

Illiana's mother, Raeva Moonstrider, stalked quietly through barren trees near Mannoroc Coven in Desolace. Several months ago the Cenarian Circle approached the leader of the jedi on Azeroth and asked for advice on strange behavior in this region. The Burning Blade Clan and several satyr clans had always been active in the Coven, but lately they had been quiet in their dealings with outsiders. Nearby roadways normally harassed by the satyrs had been unusually safe for passersby and the Burning Blade Clan had ceased all incursions into the surrounding areas. Then there was the report of one unfortunate group of investigators who ventured into the Coven. Of the five that sought answers to what the demonic followers were doing inside the region, only one survived to tell the tale of strange rituals led by three beings wearing black robes. Hoods worn by the trio prevented the man from seeing their faces, but they spoke in a strange tongue around what appeared to be the base of a large portal under construction. Mannoroc Coven was littered with small portals that the satyr and orcs used to travel to other parts of Azeroth, but even those on the outskirts had been abandoned allowing the druids enough time to destroy them. Another excursion of druids tried to enter the Coven, but they were repelled by a gathered force of orcs and satyrs unlike any seen before…the groups usually were not so concerted in their efforts to keep strangers out of the area. None of the druids survived, and so they had asked the former dragon Aspect, Ysera, for assistance and she, in turn, approached Daneel.

Raeva had been studying under the jedi grand master the day Ysera arrived at the new jedi temple in Northrend. Illiana was now an apprentice to Daneel's former padawan, Celeste, and although she was sensitive to the Force, Raeva knew she would never reach the level of her child. She was over ten thousand years old when she finally conceived her daughter, and despite her age she still looked as young. Outside their order many people could confuse them as sisters or even twins instead of mother and daughter. But on that day when Ysera arrived, Raeva was learning all she could. Illiana's father, a sith named Narcis, had taught the elder elf some things about the Force, but only just enough to complete what plans he envisioned and never enough to allow her or the other two highborne with her to ever reach the same level of power as he possessed. She had learned from Daneel in just a short few months more than she had ever dreamed possible after many years under Narcis. Upon Ysera departure, Raeva pleaded with Daneel for permission to come to this area. When he asked her why the answer was simple…atonement for what had happened in the months prior to his rescue of her daughter from the nightmarish clutches of the Old God N'Zoth and his avatar who attacked them at the old Titan fortress. While Daneel tried to tell her such feelings were not necessary, in her heart Raeva knew she had threatened the lives of many innocent people and had the jedi not intervened when he had her daughter could have done much worse. She had plenty to atone for.

Now she stood near the base of small hill near what appeared to be a small satyr village. Daneel's last lesson to her before her departure was how to cloak herself in the Force. It was a technique utilized by jedi shadows for when they entered hostile territory to gather information. Sith assassins, she knew from her few teachings with Narcis, used the same technique to sneak upon their victims to capture a quick and easy kill. Only a strong Force sensitive would ever know she was in the area as even to the naked eye she was invisible. It was because of this ability she traversed the region alone. She only had the power to cloak herself, and if there were others with her they would only increase the danger to themselves and alert the satyr. Her long red hair she kept in a ponytailed braid and under the black jedi robes she was wearing. Ahead were a couple of satyrs patrolling the outskirts of the village, but her keen eyesight allowed her to see what was happening further in from the position where she hid. Satyrs stood close to nine feet in height, but three of them seemed to cower before a hooded figure in black robes no larger than an average human male. His back was to her, but she could still faintly hear them speaking.

"Construction has stalled, my lord," one of the satyrs said to the hooded man. "We do not have enough supplies to finish the project. We must go outside the Coven to gather more."

"That is unacceptable," the main said in a deep resonant voice. "There will be no excursions outside this realm. You have more than you need here to finish."

The three satyrs retreated from the smaller being which was something Raeva had not seen or heard of unless they were in the presence of a demon lord. Who was this mysterious man they feared so much?

"How? We have nothing left to mine…no places left to gather materials to…" one of the satyrs said just before the hooded man turned. Raeva could not see all of his face, but she saw enough to know what kind of creature he was. He reached out with his right hand, and green bolts of lighting struck the speaking satyr in the chest. The two others backed away from their companion as his skin burned and smoke rose from where the lightning struck him. Raeva knew this power…had used it herself on a few occasions…Force lightning, but this was corrupted…not of the dark side but of something else. After a few seconds the attack ceased and the cowled man lowered his arm. All that was left of the offending satyr was a pile of ash. The man looked at the other two, and Raeva could fully see his face. Green skin like an orc, facial tendrils like a sith, and black orbs where his eyes should have been, Raeva knew she was seeing some new form of demon. He looked at the remaining two satyrs and gave them a wicked smile.

"There are plenty of materials left within the Coven. Tear down the other portals and use their remnants to finish the project," he said to them.

"The remaining portals?" the first one to speak queried. "But that is how we reach the rest of the world. Without them we are secluded here."

"Reaching the rest of the world is no longer our concern," the hooded stranger replied. "Finish the gateway and the rest of the world will crumble at our master's feet. Succeed and you will be rewarded as I have. Fail…and oblivion will become something you will learn to crave most."

The two satyrs bowed and left the hooded man alone. He turned his back to Raeva, but she had already left the area having learned what she needed. Satyrs and the Burning Clan were closely aligned with the Burning Legion and continuously strove to someday bring that army back to this world. The leader was something new, however, and whether the man was a corrupted sith or something else, this much was certain to her…they were building something large referred to as a gateway which could only mean they intended to bring the Burning Legion back to Azeroth. As she moved stealthily amongst the trees she failed to notice the dark figure that shadowed her.

* * *

Grogg sat with his legs crossed and arms resting on his knees with his palms facing upwards. Eyes closed and with his breathing calm and steady, he reached out through the Force and within himself. Sitting beside him was the chiss jedi healer, Kai'moira, who mirrored his sitting position. They were located in almost the exact center of the mountain crevice and between the abodes of his master, Zharn and Kitali, and with the jedi temple. Nearby were a few trees with birds flying around the branches that at this time of year were full of colorful leaves. Some of them had fallen to the ground and blew with a calm breeze. With the arrival of Kai'moira and Dorak, Daneel had set up different times of the day for the orc to spend with each master before returning to the miraluka to discuss what he had learned. Dorak worked with him to train in lightsaber combat and Kai'moira in the healing arts. This afternoon he was learning how to look deep within himself at a cellular level.

Outwardly passersby would notice a faint golden glow around each jedi, but both were focused inward and oblivious to what was happening around them. As Grogg mentally entered his body he felt the presence of the chiss beside him. In his mind's eyes he envisioned himself with the master healer in microscopic ethereal forms as they passed through his green skin and traversed amongst the various cells towards his musculature tissues. Round and ovoid shapes surrounded them in a kaleidoscope of colors and each one pulsing as if they were breathing. One close by shook and then appeared about to fall apart before it split into two separate shapes independent of each other. He turned his head to look at the chiss who was smiling at him, and then he noticed more shapes dividing. Some others, he noticed, darkened and became still. Other shapes soon came after and consumed the dead and he realized there was no waste. The shapes were the cells that constituted his own body, and with each division life was prolonged and continued, and with each darkening cell was death, but even in death other cells consumed the corpse to continue in their life cycle. All around him was life and death and with a sudden realization he gasped with knowledge that his body was in constant change and flux.

"As with all living things you are seeing the same cycle of life within you that exists in the world," Kai'moira's ethereal form said to him. He knew they were not actually speaking, but through the Force she was speaking to him telepathically. "Just as creatures live, reproduce, and die and their bodies are consumed by other living things; your cells live, reproduce, die and are consumed. As in nature which exists in the balance of the Force so too is your own body."

"I had read about such things that was hypothesized…but to actually witness it…" the orc's voice trailed off. His ethereal form watched another cell expire before him. "Can I…heal these?"

"You cannot heal dead cells, Grogg," the master answered. "But those that live and have been damaged or even those that have been diseased you can with the aid of the Force."

He looked over to Kai'moira in awe. "I can heal diseases? Cure those that ail from some plague?"

"Not all diseases," she replied shaking her head. "For some ailments there is no cure even through the Force. And you cannot prevent death and live an immortal life. It is theoretically possible, but to do so would require constant mediation and focus on every single cell in your body at every second. Such a life would prove meaningless."

"I wouldn't want to live forever," Grogg said looking back at the cells nearest him. "To watch loved ones grow old and die while I lived in youth and repeat this generation after generation…it would be unbearable. But to cure that which ails or even what has been tainted…"

"What kind of taint interests you, Grogg?" she asked looking at the cell he examined.

"My race did not always have green skin," he answered. "Before I was born we orcs came from Outland, but at the time it was a whole world called Draenor. We lived in clans and with a mostly peaceful existence…our skin was brown like the earth. Shamans were our spiritual leaders and communed with the elements and our ancestors. Then one day one of our own betrayed us. He was seduced by the demon lord Kil'jaeden, and convinced our people to give up their shamanistic ways and instead summon lesser demons as their thralls. They were called warlocks. We lived in peace with the draenei…Kitali's people…until that time, but Kil'jaeden lied to us and told us they meant to destroy us…so we almost destroyed them first." He looked over to the jedi master and even his ethereal form had a tear running down his cheek. "We almost committed genocide against a race that was benevolent and kind because of a lie…but that was not the worst that happened to my race. When we thought we had murdered the last of the draenei, Kil'jaeden abandoned us. His master, Sargeras, then came to us and offered us salvation. You see…in fighting with the draenei and using demons instead of the elements they stopped listening to us…and our world was dying because we had neglected it…our war damaged it with the use of the fel energies associated with summoning demons. My race, almost as a whole, was tainted and it manifested physically in the changing of our skin from a beautiful brown to this ugly green…a reminder always of our fall from honor and grace." He looked back at the cell as it began to divide. "Could I cure that, master? Could I remove that taint even though I was born with it? Remove a taint that plagues my people and will for generations to come no matter that we have returned to the old ways before Kil'jaeden and Sargeras? Can I cure my people?" He looked back at her with pleading eyes. "Through the Force can I restore my people to what we were before the darkness of the demons? Before the betrayal of Ner'zhul and Gul'dan?"

"What you describe happening to the orcs meant a change in your people's DNA," she answered softly. "If you were born with the same symptoms, then that taint…that corruption you desire to cure…is no longer a disease but a part of who you are."

"And each cell contains part of our DNA, correct?" he asked. She nodded and then reached out as he floated away from her and towards the nearest cell. "Then it's a matter of adjusting the DNA!"

"Grogg…no!" she cried out, but he was already through the membrane of the cell. She breathed deeply waiting for a few seconds before he emerged to return before her. "That was foolish and rash," she chided. "You are not yet ready to delve that deep into your own body."

"I am sorry, master," he said bowing his head. "I had to see and to try, but the Force denied me."

"You actually tried to change your own DNA?"

Grogg nodded with a bowed head. "I did…but when I reached out through the Force to adjust a chromosome…I was repelled. I could not change it."

* * *

Raeva moved quietly through the trees near the edge of Mannoroc Coven. Still cloaked in the Force, the former handmaiden to Azshara was invisible to anyone who might be in the area. She had seen with her own eyes one of the mysterious leaders of the satyrs and was certain she knew what they were planning and why they had become so quiet in recent months. They were constructing a large portal and she knew it could only serve one purpose, to bring the Burning Legion back to Azeroth. The situation inside the Coven was more dire than anyone realized and her newfound knowledge was essential to alert the rest of the world. Worse was that she was certain the leader was some form of sith, but nothing like Narcis or Drakus. Those two old men were the only sith she had any experience with, but she knew Daneel and Demira had dealings with green skinned sith in the past and they would know if this being was one of them. First, however, she had to warn the nearby druids of the danger she found, and then she would return to Northrend to alert the rest of the jedi.

As she maneuvered through the trees her thoughts drifted back to her daughter. Less than a year since their reunion and already she was as proud of her daughter as any mother could be. When they first met, Illiana frightened her with the murder of Thera'gon and then with plans of world dominance. Her heart ached when she thought about what her daughter had done to herself during that time. The dead-man's switch was still in Illiana's chest, but at least now they all knew that it would not trigger a device meant to bring destruction and chaos to the world. She had also delved deep into the dark side of the Force often showing the corruption when her beautiful blue eyes changed red like those of a sith. During those first few days of their reunion, she often bordered on madness and it was when she met Daneel in Silvermoon that the truth had been revealed…Illiana was under the control of an avatar of the Old God N'Zoth. Instead of killing her, Daneel had used a technique few jedi even in his home galaxy knew and shielded the young elf's mind thereby freeing her. Now Illiana was training to become a jedi and had embraced the light side of the Force, and Raeva was eternally grateful to Daneel for saving her daughter. In her mind, she owed the jedi grand master a debt she could never repay. And as she thought on her daughter, her debt to the jedi, and what she had recently discovered, still Raeva did not sense the man in dark robes shadowing her.

* * *

Kitali climbed the staircase to the second level of the jedi temple. Just before midday she and Zharn had met with the dwarves again, but this time the meeting was much more pleasant. The foreman showed them a new design for the roof of the structure that they felt would if not repel boulders at least withstand their impact should a rock slide occur. Afterwards, her husband had joined Daneel and Grogg in a climb to the top of the mountain to meditate. The orc had grown quite fond of such activities since his back was finally healed by Tyrande Whisperwind because it meant he and Daneel could spend what they felt was leisurely time together. Kitali smiled to herself as she thought of them as spiritual brothers which suited her perfectly since she viewed Demira like a sister. The mage was off somewhere with Kuro, but Kitali didn't know where in the valley they were or what they were doing. This afternoon she just wanted to sit down at the synthweaving machine and let her imagination run free as she designed more clothing for the jedi women. Her creations brought her great joy and offered a chance to unwind and let her mind wander and forget the troubles that plagued the world at least for a short time.

The draenei stepped onto the second level and in the distance could hear the familiar hum of the synthweaving machine. Puzzled, she walked slowly towards the doorway of the room housing the source of noise. Besides her only Daneel used the device and she knew he was not up here using it. Upon entering the doorway to the room, Kitali spied Kai'moira sitting on a stool before the synthweaver. Her back was to the draenei, and she was wearing only her skirt. Normally her black hair was tied back, but now as the shaman watched it fell loosely down along the chiss' bare shoulders…Kai'moira was topless. Kitali smiled in admiration at the movement of the woman's muscles as she worked the machine, but as her gaze lowered to the small of the jedi's back, Kitali winced. The chiss' dark blue skin tone could not hide the blackish brush that was about the size of a splayed hand.

"Ollie…if that's you just turn around and walk right back outside," Kai'moira said without looking back. Her concentration remained on what she was doing at the synthweaver. "You've seen me naked before, and topless might be all you see this time… there is no chance you get to see more."

"I'm not Ollie," Kitali answered. Kai'moira stopped what she was doing and turned in the stool. She was indeed topless with perfectly rounded, medium-sized breasts and a lean, flat stomach. There was another bruise on her right shoulder that was similar to the one on her back. Kitali could also see now that the jedi was repairing the hole that was on the back of her dress top and corresponded with the position of her bruise. "I came up here to use the machine, but I can come back later," she continued as she started to turn and leave.

"No need," the chiss replied with a smile. "I doubt you will leave a puddle of drool after seeing me like this," she indicated with a wave of her arms, "like some males I know." She chuckled and stood up, and Kitali gasped. The jedi had bruises all over her body. She looked down and then back at the draenei. "Looks that bad, eh?"

"What happened?"

"Arriving here happened," Kai'moira answered with a chuckle. "I think we must have come out of the fold…anomaly…whatever it's called…about twenty feet in the air…above the trees. These came from bouncing through the branches on the rest of the fifty feet to the ground." She shrugged her shoulders. "It could have been much worse."

"Do they hurt?" Kitali asked as she walked closer to examine one deeper bruise under the chiss' left breast. "I mean…they look very painful…especially that one on your back."

"A little soreness, but those too will heal in a week or so." She sat back on the stool and placed her right hand on her dress top while looking at it. "Figured I would fix this since it's the only clothing I have. At least until I can fashion more." Kai'moira turned her gaze back to Kitali. "Wait…you said you were coming up here to use this? I thought Daneel was the only one that was a synthweaver here." She looked over to the side of the room where Kitali kept some of her designs and completed projects ready to give to the other women. On a mannequin was a partially completed red set for Demira similar in style to the outfit she wore for Zharn the day before. "These are yours?"

Kitali nodded with a smile. "Demira has her flowers…I have my little creations here. It's a hobby that allows me to relieve stress and at the same time make clothing for our little order." She walked over to look at the dress top that Kai'moira was repairing. "I could make you a new dress…if you want. I could even make it exactly like this one."

The chiss woman kept looking at the apparel on the mannequin. "Actually…could you make one of those in a dark red with black trim?" She looked back at the draenei who was wearing a wide grin. "What?"

"Oh…nothing," Kitali answered with a giggle.

"What?"

"You just seemed so…conservative…last night. I mean except when you were telling us about you and Daneel as kids…but the style of your dress and your demeanor towards Olivaw…I just thought that…"

"I wouldn't wear something like this?" Kai'moira finished. Kitali nodded with a giggle. "I'll tell you a little secret."

"Spill it," the shaman said eagerly.

"I used to wear outfits that were more revealing than that," she answered with a smile and pointing her finger at the outfit Kitali was designing. "It wasn't until Ollie saw me nude in a shower that I started wearing more conservative attire and especially around him, but I swear I still sense that man only sees me naked no matter what I wear." The shaman giggled again. "It wasn't on purpose…he didn't know I was in the shower unit at that moment. I think he was as shocked as I was at the time, but ever since that day…" Kai'moira's voice trailed off.

"So why change now?" Kitali asked as she walked over to the mannequin. "I can definitely make this in that color for you…I would love to. But you have to tell me…why the change in style? Ollie is still around."

"My homeworld, Csilla, is an ice world," Kai'moira replied. When the draenei cocked her head to the side the jedi chuckled. "It's snow plains and glacial ice over the entire surface of the planet…and very cold. So most worlds seem warm or hot to me hence I always wore revealing clothing when I was younger while on most worlds just to stay somewhat cool. This world…even in this place where you think it's cold…actually feels almost tropical to me." She smiled coyly as she walked over and joined Kitali at the mannequin. "And I like showing off a little. I mean…look at this body…my stomach. This style is not only appealing and shows off my best assets…but it's airy and I won't smother to death or suffer heat exhaustion. Ollie be damned…I'm going to be comfortable."

"And look damn sexy too," Kitali added and then both women shared a hearty laugh. Afterwards Kitali brought several bundles of material to the synthweaving machine and with Kai'moira they began to fashion new clothing for the jedi master. "In a few hours we'll have a whole new wardrobe for you," the shaman said with glee.

* * *

Raeva rounded a tree and could see a roadway that ran along the border of Mannoroc Coven some twenty yards ahead of her. She was almost clear enough to drop her Force cloak and make a more rapid pace to the Cenarian outpost near the region. The closer she approached the edge of the Coven and the more she thought about what she had discovered, the more nervous she became. As a handmaiden to Azshara she was far from the fighting with the Burning Legion and so had no tangible concept of what war with them was like, but she remembered the horror stories told by others who fought in that war and experienced it firsthand. During the Scourge and the most recent return of the Burning Legion she was in Silithus with Narcis, Thera'gon, and Malfus creating the terentateks and leviathans. They were so removed from the rest of the world at that time that they had no knowledge of the danger until the Legion had been beaten and the Scourge ended. But Raeva had seen some of the aftermath of that conflict. While Thera'gon and Malfus could not lower themselves to care, a large part of her psyche was wounded when she learned that ninety percent of their people had perished and her race was almost extinct. That wound was a main reason she departed from those men when she decided to find her daughter while seducing that sailor in the tavern aboard Fizzle and Pozzik's Speedbarge. Illiana was foremost in her mind now as she feared the Burning Legion could return yet again, and her daughter would be in real and serious danger as would the rest of the world. The jedi would be in the front lines fighting to protect the world from evil, and while she did not begrudge that fact she was scared for her only child…a jedi who would be with the rest of her order fighting the demonic army.

The redheaded elf rounded another tree and stopped in her tracks. Standing some twenty yards ahead of her and next to the roadway was a man in black, hooded robes. His bowed head hid his face, and he stood facing her with feet shoulder width apart and holding a metal cylinder in his gloved right hand. She knew the weapon…possessed one of her own that was even now resting on her left hip. He was broader across the shoulders than the leader back with the satyrs, but his style of robes was the same. She had seen one of the strange men, but before she left the other expedition survivor mentioned three such men. This must one of the other two. Raeva dropped her Force cloak understanding there was no longer any reason to keep it…the lightsaber hilt in the man's hand was a clear indication he was Force sensitive and had already discovered her presence. He made no motion when the cloak dropped, and Raeva slowly reached into her robes to pull her weapon out with her right hand. The hilt of Narcis' lightsaber still felt cold as she moved her feet into the opening stance of the Ataru form gripping the metal with both hands. The hooded figure moved to face her with a Juyo opening. With a snap-hiss the blade of his lightsaber ignited…a brilliant orange blade unlike any Raeva had seen. Green bolts of lightning charged from his hand, along the hilt, and down the length of the blade as he held it pointed to the ground at his right side. With a heavy sigh Raeva ignited her own crimson blade. Beads of sweat formed on her brow. Although she had been training alongside her daughter learning more about the Force and lightsaber combat, she was no expert nor could she come close to matching the prowess of Illiana or Celeste and she was far from even considering herself worthy to face a jedi of Daneel's caliber. If this man facing her was one of the green skinned sith Narcis talked about, then she was already overmatched and the information she held was vital to save the world from the Burning Legion….her goal was not to win but to survive long enough to tell the druids what she had learned.

The danger of lightsaber combat was the weapon itself. The blade consisted of pure plasma energy projected from a hilt. While it could cut through almost any substance and was a vital tool of the jedi and chosen weapon of the sith, for those not sensitive to the Force and trained it was extremely dangerous because the nature of the blade…it had no weight. Added to this was the gyroscopic effect of the power source inside the hilt which added difficulty in not only controlling the weightless blade, but also in holding the hilt steady and firm. Through the Force one could wield a lightsaber as deftly as any being could a conventional blade. Raeva's knowledge in the Force and combat made her competent, but not proficient. This was immediately evident to her as the strange man leapt at her with his blade swinging at her head. She brought her own weapon up to block his attack, and sidestepped as he went past her, but when their lightsabers clashed the green bolts of lightning ran from his blade along hers to her hands instantly numbing them. She held back the scream as pain shot up both of her arms and shoulders. Spinning to face him, he stood just a few feet away and pivoting on his left heel attacking again. Raeva ducked as the orange blade cut the top of her ponytail. Reaching out through the Force she raised her numb right hand and used a technique Narcis had taught her. Purple bolts of lighting sprouted from her fingertips and across the short distance to the man. He was caught on the right shoulder which caused him to drop his weapon to the ground. She heard him snarl and she reached deeper through the Force pouring more energy into her attack. Purple lighting ran down the man's right arm, and as he dropped to a knee Raeva lowered her hand ceasing her attack. Not wasting time, she spun on her heel and ran in the opposite direction. With luck he was injured enough she could escape, but as she ran closer to a tree immense pain gripped her as green bolts of lighting struck her in the back. Screaming in agony her arms flailed and Narcis' lightsaber flew from her hand. Raeva landed face down on the hard ground unable to move. Her breathing was labored and in her heart she feared the worst…that she had failed. Turning her head she could see the man's feet as he approached, but all she could think about was holding Illiana in her arms right after she was born…seeing her again outside Valiance Keep…watching her as she was saved by a draenei and an orc while others were struggling for their lives…and then she finally focused on her daughter's face. So much like her own with the bluest eyes…darkness overtook her as the man unleashed another barrage of his green lighting into her.

Two satyrs emerged from the cover of nearby trees to approach their master as he stood over the body of Raeva. In their master's hand was the hilt of his weapon…its blade extinguished. The two demonic beings had watched from the distance as their master had commanded them, and as they approached now both were in awe of how easily he had beaten the intruder.

"Should we take her back with us?" one of them asked as they approached their master. "We could reanimate her body to work as a slave on the project."

The man in black robes did not turn or face the satyrs. He stepped over Raeva's body and began walking away. Looking at each other and with a moment's hesitation, they followed their master.

"Seems a waste just to leave it there," the second said.

"Leave her for the carrion," their master responded with a raspy voice. "She was weak in life and would prove weaker in death. She is worth nothing more than fodder for the scavengers."

Again the satyrs looked at each other, but opted to say nothing as the followed the man in black robes as they left Raeva's body lying in the distance. Light dimmed as the sun fell a few hours later, and a small wolf approached the unmoving body of Raeva. It stepped up close to her and sniffed her face. Blood had trickled from her mouth and nose and dried in the hours as she lie there in the sun. Her robes had been burned from her body by the lighting leaving her back exposed, bloody, and severely burned. After a few seconds the wolf looked up to another that approached. Where the first had a gray coat of fur, the larger second one was almost black. It also stopped and sniffed Raeva's body and then looked into the eyes of the other. Nodding to each other the two wolves transformed into night elves. Once in their natural forms, the druids examined Raeva more closely. Aeyrn Windwalker raised his hand to his forehead and whispered a prayer over the elf.

"Is she alive?" Adaria asked.

She, along with her brother, had accompanied Raeva to this region in the hopes of learning what was happening in Mannoroc Coven. Once plagued by nightmares of Thera'gon's attacks in Ashenvale, then controlled by the Old God N'Zoth and subsequently freed from that control by Daneel, Adaria had since healed of those traumas and when Malfurion Stormrage asked the siblings to join the elven jedi they couldn't refuse. They actually begged to join Raeva on her mission, both feeling obligated to help the jedi order that helped them so much not so long ago. Now as she looked at the fallen jedi her heart ached. This woman had once been an enemy but had been redeemed. Like them, Adaria knew that Raeva took this mission because she too felt an obligation. The night elf looked at her brother.

"She lives," he answered. "But barely. We must bring her back to the other druids. It will take some to time to heal her…these wounds are severe. I am surprised she is still alive."

"She has a strong will," his sister answered. "And her love for her daughter runs deep within her heart. I believe that is what keeps her alive."

Aeyrn nodded and stood next to the two women. He lowered to all fours as he transformed into a great bear. He looked at Raeva and then at his sister conveying an unspoken command which Adaria obeyed. Lifting the comatose form of Raeva in her arms, she climbed atop her brother's back and protected her while they took her to the druid outpost not far from where they found the elven jedi.


	6. The Drill Points the Way

**_Part Six: The Drill Points the Way_**

On the top of the mountain overlooking the jedi temple, Daneel and Zharn sat across from Grogg. The padawan felt like he was in a crossfire between the elder shaman and his jedi master. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as his eyes wandered from the visor of the miraluka to the eyes of the other orc. Neither displayed any hint of disappointment or displeasure in him, but Grogg still felt uncomfortable. The mood on the climb up had been jovial amongst the three of them, but as usual Grogg was the last to the top and the two elder jedi had already seated themselves with crossed legs with calm yet strangely stern expressions. The sudden seriousness in the two men made the padawan nervous. Was this another test or had Daneel learned of his bold mistake during his lesson with Kai'moira earlier that morning? Silence followed for several minutes while nervous sweat continued to pour from Grogg's pores. The padawn found it near unbearable and was about to speak just to hear something, but it was Zharn who spoke first.

"Are you a proud orc, Grogg?" the shaman asked. Taken aback, Grogg just stared at him wide-eyed. "Not the kind of question you expected?" The padawan shook his head. He was expecting something about what he had done, but not quite in this manner.

"Master Kai'moira told me of what happened during your session with her this morning," Daneel said. "That you actually tried to change your DNA."

"You told her you hate your green skin and wanted to change it to the brown tone of our forefathers," Zharn added. "You are like me…born after those times when Ner'zhul and Gul'dan sold us into Sargeras' slavery. Unlike our fathers, we never knew what it was like to have brown skin…so why…"

"I don't hate my green skin," Grogg interrupted. "I just said that our people were not meant to be like this and asked if there was a way to change back to what we were."

"It goes much deeper than that," Daneel stated calmly. "I can sense it in you, my padawan. There is a deep desire in you that wishes you looked differently than you do."

"Was it your time living in Outland? Was that why you never wanted to return to Azeroth? I know orcs still live there as we were before the betrayal," Zharn added.

"It's…it's nothing like that at all," Grogg protested. For a moment there was silence as the two men held him in their gaze. More sweat formed on his brow and began running down the sides of his face. "What?" He expected another barrage of questions…more of this inquisition…at least it was beginning to feel like one to Grogg, but confusion overcame him when the two men looked at each other and smiled. "What?"

Zharn chuckled and looked down at the jedi temple. Daneel gave a slight nod and spoke to his padawan. "I think I know who she is."

"I should have expected this," the shaman laughed. "So I _have_ lost this wager, my friend."

"I told you who I thought was behind this…or more to the point the reason behind this desire to act as he had attempted," Daneel responded with mirth. "And a deal is a deal…you have to…"

"What are you two talking about?" Grogg asked interrupting them. The jedi master and shaman looked at each other and laughed. "It's nice to see you two are enjoying this, but can you please fill me in on what is going on? What wager? Who is this _she_?"

"He has to admit it, or the bet is off," Zharn said to Daneel. "He has to say her name."

"Who's name?" the padawan asked.

"The woman you admire so much as to want to change your appearance to get her attention," Daneel replied. Grogg's eyes widened as the realization sank in. They knew. "She is a very beautiful woman. I can't say I blame you for being attracted to her, but I can assure you she would not want you to change anything…especially if she has those same feelings for you."

"You think no one has noticed?" Zharn said. "The way you sneak a peak whenever you can when she is around…you stand near her when we gather as a group…the way your expression changes to one of longing whenever she speaks…you're smitten and we can all see it."

"Our wives suggested we have this talk with you, but I have been waiting allowing you time to act on how you feel. When Kai'moira told me about your lessons this morning and what you had done…although she was not sure why, I knew, and that made me realize now was the time to have this talk with you," Daneel added.

"Have I been that obvious?" the padawan asked.

"Yes," Daneel and Zharn answered together.

"I wanted to change my skin tone…I admit it…because I wanted to be more attractive to her…if that's even possible," Grogg confessed while lowering his head. "But her race sees orcs as beasts…unthinkable, warmongering…beasts. I thought that just maybe if my skin was like our forefathers then perhaps I would look less like a beast in her eyes. If my skin was not this ugly green color then perhaps she might also find me worthy…so I tried to change that…but I can't…and she will never love me."

Zharn reached over and placed his hand on Grogg's left shoulder. The padawan looked up…sadness etched across his face. "You think my wife cares how I look?" Zharn asked. "She is a beautiful woman…a draenei…and yet she loves me completely despite my green skin and tusks and sometimes look like a beast. But she doesn't care about such things. She loves me because of who I am…not what I look like."

"And the woman you find yourself attracted to shares many of those same views," Daneel added. "I know…I trained her for over a year. She does not seek outer beauty as much as she desires those attributes that come from the heart. You have a greater chance at winning her affections than you imagine."

Grogg nodded and stood up. Looking down at the two elders of the jedi order he said, "I need some time alone to think on this." And with that he turned and walked off seeking solitude some distance away on the mountain top. Daneel and Zharn watched Grogg walk away from them, both men smiling. After the younger orc had left earshot, the shaman leaned over towards the miraluka as he watched Grogg find a tree and sit down near its trunk.

"He doesn't know…even now…that she is just as smitten with him," the orc said smiling.

"He does not…and she does not know he loves her," Daneel responded. "She is always giving him little touches…a hand on the arm…rubbing his back when he is out of breath after sparring…and she is always watching him with hope in her eyes. They do not know it yet, but they are destined to be together."

"We gotta get these two kids together," Zharn said with a chuckle. "But I think that is something better left for our wives to arrange."

"Agreed," the jedi replied. "Now…about our bet…"

* * *

Celeste stood in the temple courtyard watching the mountain where Daneel, Zharn, and Grogg climbed while behind her Illiana sparred with Dorak. Unlike her sessions with the weaponmaster, the elf's lessons were slower paced with several breaks for instruction and demonstration. But as she watched the three men climbing, the jedi was nearly oblivious to the lightsaber clashes behind her. From her distance she could barely make out the three men as small dots that moved upwards along the mountain face. One brown dot next a blue one, but her attention focused on the other brown dot under them. They reached the top near dusk, and now as the light dimmed from the setting sun she remained focused on the mountaintop waiting for the three of them to begin their descent. When she saw that they were spending the night on the mountain, she turned around to find that Illiana and Dorak had ended their session and departed leaving her alone. In fact there was no one nearby. It was then she also realized, as she looked down, that she had stood there watching them for several hours while holding her hand over heart. With a sigh she turned back to face the mountain and knelt on the ground. Closing her eyes she reached out through the Force and with the inner eye projected her vision to the top of the mountain. This variation of Force Sight she learned from her former master and was one of his first lessons to her in Eversong Woods. The world appeared to her in much the same way that her master described was his normal vision. There was no light or dark, just varying shades of a golden hue over everything with faint hints of color. She found Daneel and Zharn sitting near a campfire. With this form of Force Sight, Daneel appeared with a bright golden glow with the Force flowing all around and through him. Zharn had a similar glow, but not as intense as the jedi's, and while the Force flowed around him it did not exactly go through him as it did her former master. The miraluka was leaning over the back of the orc, and in his had was a small device she knew was for hair trimming, and the orc's once long and braided beard dangled from his clenched fist. The shaman was not angry, but wore a resigned expression telling Celeste that he accepted his end of the bargain which apparently was the beard he had worn for as long as she had known him. Now, except for his eyebrows, the shaman was completely shorn on his head. Inwardly she smiled knowing something had happened between the old friends…some kind of wager she guessed and her former master had won…and then she frowned as she realized Grogg was not with them. She looked around and sensed him some thirty yards away. Moving in his direction, Celeste found him sitting cross-legged at the base of a tree, arms propped up on his knees with his chin resting in his hands. Like Daneel he was bathed in a bright golden glow with the Force flowing around and through him…and he was beautiful to her. His brow was furrowed as if he was in deep thought. She reached out to touch him…to touch his cheek and reassure him, and then remembered that she was not physically there on the mountaintop with him. With a sigh she retreated back to her body in the valley. Opening her pale blue eyes she looked back up at the mountain and without thinking brought her hand back over her heart.

For the next two days she observed the orc and was frustrated that at times he seemed to purposely avoid her. Not that it was something hard to do, with the new arrivals everyone was excited and split off with Dorak, Kai'moira, or Olivaw at one time or another getting to know each other and learn more about the galaxy they came from. Grogg spent a lot of this time with Kai'moira as he continued to learn the healing arts of the Force. For Daneel his visits were times to catch up with what was happening in their home galaxy, but more importantly to learn about what his sister had done in his absence. Celeste knew her former master well enough to know that although outwardly he appeared to have moved past his grief, there were times she saw him alone or with Demira and she knew by observing their body language that he was hit hard by Zufa's death. This morning, she watched as the jedi grand master and his wife walked across the valley to the jedi temple. As usual they held hands as they walked, but this morning Celeste noticed that from time to time they would stop and he would lower his head to her shoulder.

Illiana again was sparring with Dorak while Olivaw had brought a chair nearby to sit and watch. He played with his guns…blasters he called them…and sometimes boasted that a good blaster was better than a lightsaber. The day before, to prove his point, he shot a bird flying high overhead. Kuro was angered until just before coming to the ground it spread its wings and flew away. She scowled at the smuggler who only laughed and claimed his weapons were set to a light stun and that he would never kill a helpless animal unless survival demanded such. There was also the moment not long after that incident when Kai'moira approached wearing one of the sexiest outfits Celeste had seen created by Kitali. The slender chiss woman wore a billowy top with long sleeves and a collared yet plunging neckline. It was dark red with black bands at the wrists and across her chest where the top ended just below her breasts. From her waist down was a matching full length skirt with a black belt and a long triangular pattern that started at each hip and ended just between her feet. A long whistle from the smuggler stopped the sparring jedi, and even warranted a glare from Illiana towards Olivaw. Kai'moira also opted to wear her hair loosely down across her shoulders, and Celeste realized just how beautiful the jedi healer was. Beside her was the draenei obviously proud of the new design wearing a similar dress that was white with dark blue trimming. Nobody was surprised at Zharn's whistle and subsequent lifting of his wife and telling everyone they would return in a few hours as he carried her off back into the jedi temple…Kitali giggling the whole time. Apparently she loved the newly shaved orc just as much as she loved him with his long braided beard. Celeste still had not learned what led to that wager and how Zharn had lost to Daneel.

Now she stood on the balcony of the third level of the temple looking out to where Grogg and Kai'moira sat in the middle of the valley in a small grove of trees. Her hands rested on the newly carved railing as she leaned out and closed her eyes. Today she wore her own version of Kitali's new design that was emerald green with white trim.

"It's an amazing view from up here," she heard Dorak say behind her. Celeste turned to see the weaponmaster standing on the far side of the oval room. He was wearing new brown robes Daneel had crafted for him the day before. Only Olivaw continued to wear the same black duster since their arrival. Dorak was standing with his hands clasped behind his back as he walked across the room to join her on the balcony. "You missed our sparring session," he said as he stopped to join her looking out over the valley.

"I'm sorry, Master Dorak," she answered. "This morning I guess my mind is a little preoccupied."

"No worries," he replied. "Sometimes it's good to take a break and meditate on what you have learned…or on what troubles you." She looked over at him to see him smiling as he still looked out towards Kai'moira and Grogg. "This really is an amazing view."

Celeste looked back out towards her padawan. "Master…could I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How did you know you loved Zufa? I mean…when you did you know?"

Dorak chuckled as he unclasped his hands and rested them on the railing. "I knew the moment I saw her."

"So you…you approached her right away?" the young woman asked.

"Not at all," he replied with a shake of his head. "I was much too nervous to approach her about my feelings for about the next four years." He looked over to Celeste. "Not only did our order frown upon romantic relationships, but she was easily the most beautiful woman I had ever met and the sister of my closest friend. I was afraid of what she would say when I told her. Would she reciprocate my feelings? Would she report me to the masters of the academy and thusly end my chance at becoming a jedi? And how would Daneel react? She was, after all, his little sister. All of those questions plagued my mind whenever I was around her."

"It's such an unbearable feeling," she said quietly. "Not knowing."

"I take it you have not told him how you feel?" Dorak asked causing Celeste to look over at him. His smile was warm, kind, and friendly. "May I ask why?"

"I don't know that he could even have an interest in me beyond being a fellow jedi," the woman answered. "I doubt he could ever feel the same way about me that I feel about him."

"I don't understand how he couldn't," Dorak stated. "You are a beautiful woman and a powerful jedi…"

"And I am a human," she said interrupting him. "I know where you come from races intermingle all of the time, but on Azeroth that is not so common. His race and mine hate each other. I'm not saying he would hold the same prejudice against me, but I highly doubt that he would find me beautiful."

"Are you so certain?" Dorak asked and then pointed with his chin. Celeste looked out to see Kitali and Zharn walking in the courtyard holding hands. "From what I have been told their peoples hate each other as well, but those two are very much in love despite the feelings of their respective races."

"Their situation is different," Celeste said as she watched the shaman couple.

"If you look at your situation that way and never act…you will never know," Dorak said as he released the railing and turned to walk out of the room. "It took me years to find my happiness with Zufa and there are days now I wished I had acted sooner. Now that she is gone I cherish every single day I spent with her…if only I had more of them…if I had told her sooner how I felt instead of waiting years I would have those days to cherish as well."

As Dorak walked out of the room, Celeste looked back out to where Kai'moira and Grogg had started walking back to towards the jedi temple. She bit her lip in concentration as she thought about what the weaponmaster had just told her.

* * *

"Can you hand me the hydrospanner?" Daneel asked as he lay under the console of the new machine being constructed to house and hold the noetikons and their vast amount of information. The large rectangular base was ten feet deep, twenty feet wide, and stood three feet tall. The console sat above it with an additional foot overhang on the front and sides with a raised dais about six inches tall with three holo interface and suspensor fields to hold the individual noetikons in place. Across the back was an elaborate nine inch thick brace which held holo projectors and various sound devices for communication with the holo images that would act as the device's interface. It was as close a duplicate as Daneel could fabricate to the original noetikon computer back in the jedi temple on Tython. Currently his head and shoulders were hidden from view inside the base, and he held out his left hand waiting for the tool he requested.

"Windi is going to be upset when she finds out you did all this work without her," Demira said with mirth as she handed her husband the hydrospanner. She was sitting next to the base and under the overhang with a box filled with several types of tools scavenged from the sith base in Eversong Woods, the jedi's crashed ship, and the Titan base north of them. "Her last message was very cryptic, don't you think?"

"I find that most of her messages are cryptic," the jedi answered with a chuckle as he accepted the tool which quickly disappeared into the base. His tan breaches and top had a few grease smudges, but Demira's similarly styled red clothing was spotless. "But I do find it perplexing that whatever she discovered was important enough to keep her there the past two days instead of coming here as she planned. She's been looking forward to working on this project almost as much as I have."

"Whatever it is has to be something very technical or scientific," Demira added. "Especially after she helped to design and build the noetikons we gave to Tyrande and Alexstrasza to fill with knowledge." She leaned over to look into the panel. There was just enough light to see Daneel's face as he worked on something above him. "What do you suppose it might be that has her so excited?"

"It's the drill!" Windi shouted as she walked in from the other side of the room. Demira looked over to see the gnome with pink hair tied up into two ponytails and wearing a set of black coveralls. One thing that was constant about Windi…she was always changing her hair color. From inside the machine there was a clattering of tools and an exclamation from the jedi as he banged his head against something in reaction to Windi's statement. "It's moved!"

Demira sat up and looked at the gnome while Daneel crawled out from inside the machine. He held his hand to his forehead to staunch a trickle of blood from a small cut just above his visor. "What do you mean it moved?" he asked.

"It's moved…or it did before the mechagnomes reverted it back to its original position."

"Who moved it?" the mage asked.

"No one…that's the dilemma that's confused me for the past day," Windi answered as she stopped near the couple. She smiled and sat down cross-legged on the ground. "There are about ten of us working and studying the machines in the facility, but none of us ever go near the drill. There's nothing new to discover…until yesterday…when it moved. I noticed something was amiss when the mechagnomes around me all started heading to the drill. I followed them to see what they were doing, and I swear that thing was almost twenty degrees off. Within an hour they had it pointed down again, but I was curious as to what caused it to change in the first place."

"What was it?" the couple asked together.

"I don't know," she answered.

Demira and Daneel looked at each other and then back at the gnome. "You don't know?" they asked.

"Nope…but I have a theory," she replied with a smile. "I found an activity log for the device. Seems that in the beginning, when it was installed, there were centuries where it was constantly straying from target. The mechagnomes would fix the targeting and then change the programming to adjust for whatever pulled it off track so that similar or exact occurrences would not affect it again." She reached into a pouch at her waist and pulled out a folded sheet. She handed it to the jedi who unfolded it and examined the scribbles made by Windi. Demira leaned over her husband's shoulder to see what the gnome had written. "At first they had to make adjustments for weather conditions, solar radiation, gravitic shifts along the planet's ley lines, and all other kinds of natural phenomena. As the different races discovered magic and arcane energies, their use of those caused minor changes in the ley lines thus altering the alignment of the drill. Once those corrections were made, the drill didn't move. Now this happened a lot, like I said, for the first few centuries, but for the past twelve thousand years there have been only five occurrences when the drill moved."

"You mean it had been stabilized?" Daneel asked and the gnome answered with a nod. "So these last five times are anomalies?"

"Yeppers," she said with a smile. "The first one was…roughly…ten thousand years ago. Then the next one after that was about fifty to sixty years ago. My ability to read Titan is still rough so that's about as close as I could narrow the timeframe. Then the third was about five years ago."

Demira and Daneel again looked at each other and then back at the gnome. "That last one…are you certain of the time?" Demira asked.

"Uh-huh…about the same time Daneel arrived on Azeroth," Windi answered. "When I saw that I checked into similar types of events…the War of the Ancients and then the activation of the Dark Portal when the orcs first arrived here. Both events fit with the times when the drill moved."

"The ancient portal was when Sargeras first tried to come to Azeroth through a very powerful portal enhanced through the use of energies from the Well of Eternity," Demira said quietly.

"And I checked the direction of the drill's change in position…and it was at what is now the Maelstrom. But ten thousand years ago that was the location of the Well and the portal the highborne used to bring the Burning Legion to Azeroth." Windi stood and started pacing. Demira's gaze followed the gnome while Daneel continued to examine the paper she had handed him. "The direction of the drill at the second instance was towards the location of the Dark Portal. Now the funny thing is that when it was destroyed and then later rebuilt the reactivation had no affect on the drill…the programming corrections must have been made and since it was essentially the same device the drill remained unchanged. The third time it pointed towards Eversong Woods…where Daneel's fold in space and time coincided with your portal…and what brought him here from a distant galaxy. Each instance there was tremendous forces of energy and they each somehow affected the drill's alignment."

"But the mechagnomes corrected the problem each time and reprogrammed it to ignore similar instances," Daneel said. "So each portal in those three instances was different from each other…just enough…that the drill was affected."

"Precisely," Windi said with a point of her hand as she continued pacing back and forth before them.

"But you said this has happened five times…you have only mentioned three," Demira stated. Windi nodded as she stopped pacing. "What about the other two? When did they happen?"

"That's the confusing part," the gnome answered. "Both times were in the past week." Daneel finally looked up from the paper. "I saw the strangers outside…friends of yours?"

"Two jedi and a smuggler from the same galaxy I came from. Old friends of mine, in fact, that had been looking for me when they encountered a similar spacial rift that tore my ship apart."

"Using the same technique as yours, I bet, but without the corresponding portal on this end…and came here through blind luck or your Force…but still different enough from your arrival that the drill moved," Windi said as she sat back down. "That was last week. But yesterday it moved again. Now both times it pointed south towards Kalimdor."

"Dorak, Kai'moira, and Olivaw arrived in Ashenvale," Demira added.

Windi looked at Daneel specifically. "Have you had any other friends arrive?"

Daneel shook his head. "But I might have a theory of my own. Raeva is near Desolace investigating Mannoroc Coven. The druids in the area were concerned that the Burning Blade clan and the satyrs had become quiet and almost ceased venturing outside that region."

"The first two instances were caused by magical portals here on Azeroth…first to bring the Burning Legion and ultimately Sargeras, and then the orcs who were his thralls at the time," Demira said. "Satyrs were originally highborne elves who were corrupted by Sargeras in that ancient war and are believed to always strive to bring the Legion back to Azeroth. What if they have succeeded in opening another portal to the demon's realm?"

At that moment Illiana ran into the room drawing everyone's attention. Her hair was disheveled as were the black robes she wore. A worried expression etched her face. "Master Daneel," she said out of breath. "I've felt a disturbance in the Force…have you heard from my mother? She normally contacts us every day or two, but it's been over four days now and it's not like her to be out of contact for this long. I feel something bad has happened to her."

* * *

Raeva clung to life in a small, unnamed outpost on the southern edge of the Cenarian Wildlands. Aeyrn and Adaria had brought her to this place in hopes of finding a druid capable of healing her wounds, but so far the two practitioners they found were mostly unsuccessful. They could keep her alive, but something in the wound prevented it from mending properly, and in desperation they had sent for more healers from nearby Karnum's Glade, but even they were unsuccessful. During the last two days as they attended to the elven jedi, she woke briefly only once and spoke one word…Illiana.

Aeyrn had searched through the elf's possessions as the healers worked to save her life, and in one of her pouches he found a small round device that he recognized as one used by the jedi for some form of communication, but this one had been damaged as bare wires and part of the plating was missing. After the first day when none of the healing seemed to help Raeva, he looked at his sister and with an unspoken understanding transformed into a raven and took flight. He was now over the sea between Kalimdor and Northrend. He hoped he could reach the jedi and return to Raeva in time to save her.

* * *

All of the jedi sat around the large table in the dining room of the jedi temple. Daneel sat at the head while Demira sat on the far side across from him. To his left sat Kai'moira, Dorak, Grogg, and Celeste while on his right were Kuro, Kitali, Zharn, Windi, and Illiana. Joining them, but not at the table, was Olivaw who leaned back in his chair trying to appear bored. The jedi grand master rested his elbows on the tabletop and looked at each member of their order.

"I've called you all here to give you some troubling news," he started. "As most of you know, the Cenarian Circle approached Ysera for assistance in investigating Mannoroc Coven in Desolace. The satyrs and Burning Blade Clan had been acting strangely which concerned them greatly. Ysera in turn asked me for assistance in this matter, and Illiana's mother volunteered to go to Desolace and uncover what was happening in that region of Kalimdor. Earlier today Illiana told me of a disturbance in the Force she felt around her mother. I have also reached out to her through the Force and sense that she is in great pain…and her life is in jeopardy." Concern crossed the faces of all those present in the room. Even the smuggler sat up in his chair no longer trying to act aloof. "I am convinced Raeva has discovered something that has placed her in great peril…and we must act."

"I have already contacted the other flights regarding this," Kuro added. "Tariolstrasz and Vethsera are flying here from Wyrmrest Temple, and the three of us will fly south to Desolace on the morrow."

"You will not be going alone," Daneel said as he looked at Illiana. "I do not presume to keep you here as it is your mother who is in danger. I doubt I could keep you here if I wanted to, so you will go south as well." He looked over to the chiss healer. "Normally, Kai, I would ask you to join them since you are the best healer I know, but there are no chiss on this world and your presence would draw a lot of attention…and right now the less attention we garner the better."

"Grogg is more than capable," the jedi master replied. The orc padawan looked at her with wide eyes. "He has more natural ability in the healing arts than he realizes, and I feel he is ready for this kind of trial in his training."

Without thinking or realizing she did so, Celeste reached over and grabbed Grogg's hand. He looked are her in shock, but if the others in the room noticed her action and his reaction they said nothing.

"I'm going also," Olivaw said standing up from his chair. All eyes turned towards him…as well as Daneel. "This is a rescue mission…to call it anything else would be a lie…and who do you know of that is better in rescues than me?"

"You are the best I know of, that is true," Daneel answered. "But…like Kai…there are no zabrak on this world…"

"That's a load of banthashit and you know it," Olivaw retorted. "One of your own is caught behind enemy lines…and nobody gets left behind…"

"And she won't be," Daneel said interrupting the smuggler. "But I cannot send you with them." Olivaw started to protest again but the jedi grand master held up his hand. "I would prefer to have a jedi master along with the others at this time." He looked over at Dorak. "I hate to ask this, my old friend…"

"You don't have to," the weaponmaster replied. "I would consider it an honor and a privilege to join them. I also will look out for our two padawans here and teach them what I can while we are on this mission." He looked over to Celeste and gave her a nod.

Daneel looked across the table to Demira while the smuggler sat back in his chair with a huff. "Hon…like we spoke earlier they will need a portal opened to Darnassus when they depart in the morning." The mage nodded while Daneel looked at Kuro. She smiled at the jedi knowing what he was doing…a portal to Darnassus would cut at least a day off their journey. He stood up and leaned on the table. "Now…you six will be our expeditionary force," he said to all of them. "Windi has also made a discovery that I feel is linked to the danger Raeva faces or is facing. She will return to the Titan fortress and monitor the drill. It has been changing its aim when large portals have emerged throughout history…most recently being yesterday morning and located roughly in Desolace. While we have no concrete evidence to support this theory….I am making the decision to act on this as if it were fact…I believe the satyrs and orcs in that region have begun to open a portal and being that they are demon followers…they are opening one to allow the return of the Burning Legion."

Those in the room native to Azeroth gasped. Kai'moira and Dorak looked at the others not quite understanding what Daneel was saying. Olivaw stood up again. "What's a _burning legion_?" he asked.

"The Burning Legion is the demonic army of the demon lord Sargeras," Kitali answered. "They have been to this world twice before and each time almost destroyed it before they were driven back to their realm. They seek the death of all living things…_all living things_. If they are set to return now…with the Horde and Alliance warring as they are…then the timing of their arrival couldn't be worse."

"If Go'el were leading the Horde, I know he would end the fighting with the Alliance to fight the demonic army," Zharn added. "But he is not Warchief…Garrosh Hellscream is…and he will not stop his war with the Alliance…not even to face the Burning Legion. Any other Warchief I think might, but not him."

"And so long as Garrosh continues his war, Varian Wrynn cannot divert his forces to help us either," Demira added. "I have already contacted Tyrande Whisperwind via holocom. The druids will aid us should our theory prove correct…and her spouse fears it might be. We don't have time to try and contact the Argent Crusade…they are mostly in the Eastern Kingdoms in and around the Dark Portal or in Outland."

"I'll head to the Maelstrom," Kitali said. "I'll talk to the Elder Council of the Earthen Ring. I'm certain they would join us in this. Go'el is occupied in Orgrimmar at the present time, but other shamans could prove valuable in a fight against the Burning Legion."

Daneel nodded to the draenei. "The rest of us will travel by conventional means to Desolace. Dorak…keep in regular contact with us via holocom. I don't think the Legion has come through the portal yet, but should you discover they have then we will have to accelerate our plans. Otherwise we will meet you at Karnum's Glade just outside Mannoroc Coven about a week after your arrival. Tonight…everyone get plenty of rest. Tomorrow, we depart for the south…and for Desolace."


	7. A Restless Night

**_Part Seven: A Restless Night _**

Many of the habitation rooms of the jedi temple were open air with a large balcony. Master Dorak's room was no exception as he sat in a chair on his balcony, feet propped on the railing, enjoying the sunset over the mountain. So much of this area reminded him of Alderaan's picturesque landscape near House Organa. Demira and Zharn had both enlightened him with the region's tumultuous past with an undead Scourge and the second arrival of the Burning Legion, the Nexus War, and the nearby Wyrmrest Temple and the surrounding dragon graveyard. The gnome, Windi, had explained some of the details of the Titan fortress north of them and the drill that was the source of all the concern for the jedi over the past year. Why was it that some of the most beautiful places in the universe were also amongst the most troubled? Tonight, though, he just wanted to enjoy the tranquility of the scenery without thinking about the troubles of the world. In the morning he would be leaving for the south with three dragons and two padawans to locate and probably rescue a missing jedi with the possibility of encountering a fearsome army of demons, so this night he wanted to relax, reflect, and rest. With a sigh he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. How he wished Zufa could see this place…this haven her brother called home. Wished she could have met Demira and the wonderful woman that had awakened love in her brother's heart. And the shamans, Kitali and Zharn…the two women were so much alike. Then there was Celeste…sweet little Celeste…the padawan Daneel had trained and was now a fine jedi knight and well on her way to becoming a weaponmaster. She was almost as adept at sensing shatterpoints as he was. What words of advice would his wife have given the small human regarding her love for the orc padawan? He hoped he was helpful, but in his emotional state he wasn't sure…he would never love again so how could know if what he told the young woman was the best advice?

"Daneel has found happiness here," a woman's ethereal voice said from near the doorway to his room.

Dorak didn't open his eyes or look in the direction of the speaker. "He's a changed man and much for the better I believe," the weaponmaster replied. "He lives the kind of life I had hoped for…" his voice trailed off.

"Us?" the woman's voice answered.

Dorak did then open his eyes and looked over to see the Force ghost of Zufa standing in the middle of the room. Her ethereal form was a silvery shimmering light that cast no shadows and almost transparent. Wearing the same dress she wore on their wedding day, hair pulled back into a ponytail, and visor just like her brother's, Zufa was the exact vision of the day when Dorak's life felt most complete. Her smile warmed his heart…a heart that had been empty and hollow since the day he learned of her death.

"I…I never thought to see you again," he said quietly as he sat up in his chair. "Master Orgus Din would see me like this after Darth Angral killed him, but I was never sure I would see you…and especially not here so far from home."

"The Force is everywhere," she answered. "Though it has taken me a while to find you…and I have only enough energy left in me to see you this one time."

"I figured you would see your brother," he said lowering his gaze. "You had struggled for so long to find him…"

"I have seen my brother, but I have not spoken to him," she answered as her form glided across the room towards him. "He is happy and his wife is a wonderful woman. I am glad he found the peace and love I had always hoped he could find." She stopped just before him and seemed to kneel next to him as he still sat in his chair. "It is not my brother's happiness that concerns me…it is yours."

"My hopes of happiness died with you," he whispered. "Without you I am nothing. My life has been meaningless since you've been gone. I looked for Daneel hoping to find some sort of closure, but I have not found it nor shall I."

"And that is why I am here, my love," she said. "Soon I must leave and become one with the Force. But I want you to find the peace Daneel found…find love in the arms of another, Dorak. I am gone but you still live. You must let me go to find the closure you seek…only then will you also find peace and happiness again."

"I am not strong enough…" he said shaking his head.

"There is another with you who can help…if you will only attempt to let her try…to let her into your heart," Zufa said. He looked at her with sad eyes and a tear running down his cheek. "She has always been there with us, even shared our bed several times, and she has been with you since my departure…and she will be with you always…if you let her. She cares for you, and although she does not yet know it…she loves you as I do." She leaned in closer to him. "I know a part of you loves her also…as a part of me loved her…there is no shame or weakness in that…I ask you to let that part grow in your heart and fill the emptiness…and allow you to find happiness again." As she said these last words she began to fade…the light of her dimming.

"Don't go," he pleaded reaching out for her, but she was not physically there to touch and his hand passed through her shoulder.

"I must go," she answered smiling and still dimming. "It is my time."

"Please…don't go."

"Remember what I said," she said with her voice fading as she disappeared. "Find love and happiness again. She is waiting though she does not know it. Open your heart to her. And remember also…there is no death…"

"There is the Force," he said completing her sentence as her essence left the room…leaving him alone in darkness as the sun fell behind the mountain.

* * *

Closely examining the metal cylinder set on the countertop before her, Celeste pursed her lips in concentration. After the meeting had ended and Daneel explained where everyone was going and what they were doing, she had left the temple to enter the cave in the mountain created to house those technological devices and hardware the order intended to keep hidden from the rest of the world. Like the temple, the cave was almost labyrinthine with several levels. Not as large or spacious as the base in Eversong Woods had been, this repository was still quite expansive inside the mountain, and located in this room specifically were the tools and benches established for use by the jedi for centuries to come. It would serve as a central part for every future jedi's training...here they would craft their lightsabers. The jedi knight looked down at only the second weapon she had crafted, and as she continued to purse her lips she wanted this one to be perfect. The first hour since her arrival to this room was spent in meditation over the small crate of lightsaber crystals. For her own saberstaff the choice had been easy…the crystals seemed to call to her through the Force. This time she was making the weapon for another, and she spent that hour focusing on each crystal and comparing it to the essence of the one for whom she was crafting it. For the next three hours she painstakingly crafted the hilt and placed the lens, power cell, and then finally the crystal within. Now, with a heavy sigh, she reached out and grasped the lightsaber in her right hand. The hilt was larger than her own as her fingers barely wrapped completely around the hilt. If she were to use this weapon in a duel she would be hard pressed to control it because of its size in her small hand, but this one was not for her. Thumbing the contact she ignited the blue blade with a snap/hiss. As she moved the lightsaber back and forth a smile formed on her lips…it was perfect.

She extinguished the blade and left the room. Hoping to find the intended receiver of her gift that night, she walked down the twisting corridors created by Kuro when she hollowed this section of the mountain for the storage space. The forging room, named after a device on the jedi homeworld for crafting lightsabers, was located on the third level. She was now on the second level when she heard cursing coming from a room further ahead and to her left. She wasn't sure the time of night, but knew it had to be late considering the time she spent in crafting the new lightsaber. Apparently someone else had entered the mountain facility, but the room the noises were coming from just housed various crates of metals or metallic compounds most of which were not found on Azeroth or were very rare. When she reached the doorway, Celeste peeked inside to see Olivaw pulling some purple colored metal from one of the crates. Scattered on the floor were several piles of different metals he had apparently gathered as he searched for something in particular. With a smile she cleared her throat, and the smuggler nearly jumped over the crate in his surprise. He looked at her and then at the lightsaber she still held in her hand, and he held up his own hands in surrender.

"I wasn't stealin' nuthin'…I promise," he said to her. Her smile waned as she cocked her head to the side and her brow furrowed in confusion. He pointed at her hand holding the lightsaber. "Mind putting that thing away? Kinda makes me nervous when one of you holds those things like that."

Celeste looked down at the lightsaber. Suddenly embarrassed, she smiled at the smuggler as she placed the weapon into an inner pocket of her robe. "Sorry," she said. "I totally forgot I was holding it." Now it was his turn to give her a quizzical look as he lowered his hands. "It's a…gift…for someone," she answered.

"Someone big and green?" he asked. She nodded with a pensive smile. "Say no further…I get the picture." He stepped back in front of the crate and scratched his head near the chipped horn. "I guess you're wondering what I'm doing up here this late."

"The thought had crossed my mind," she responded with a giggle. "What are you looking for? This room is just full of metals and compounds."

"And on the lower level is an old armormech machine. It's antiquated, but I think I can get it to work," he replied with a grin. "Daneel makes it sound like we're about to head into a war with some army that sounds pretty nasty. Figured it was time I made a respectable set of armor to wear for when we meet this army." He turned his attention to one of the piles on the floor. "The pickin's are kinda scarce, though, and not a single scrap of Mandalorian iron in this place."

"I've heard Master Daneel mention that metal before," the knight replied. "We have an alloy that might be as strong…perhaps stronger if Daneel's hunch is right." She motioned to the door and indicated for Olivaw to follow her. They walked out and to a room several yards further down. "He admits he's not a metallurgist so he can't be certain, and the alloy is extremely rare. We were lucky to have found a sizable cache in an old fortress north of here." She walked into the room and stopped before three large crates each almost the same size as a speeder. "It's called Titansteel…and it's very valuable on this world because it's also extremely rare…but if Daneel is correct then it might also be suitable for your needs."

The smuggler walked up beside the smaller human and lifted the lid to one of the crates. Using a small device he produced from one of the many pockets of his duster, he scanned the metal, read the results, and whistled loudly.

"I take it you like what you see?" she asked with a wide smile.

"Oh yeah," he answered with a nod. "The basic elements are different, but the properties are so similar to Mandalorian iron that it makes a perfect substitute for what I have in mind."

"Well…use all you need…and good luck with making your armor," she said as she started to leave the room. At the door she looked back. "If you get it done tonight I look forward to seeing you wearing it in the morning."

"It'll be done by then," he replied not looking back. "I can't sleep."

"I doubt many of us can," she said as she left him alone.

She focused again on finding the intended recipient of her gift, and as she left the mountain repository she looked off into the distance where she suspected he might be. Closing her eyes and again using Force Sight, she found him with Kai'moira under the trees of the grove. Both were in deep meditation and as Celeste gazed upon his glowing form in the Force, her heart ached for the orc named Grogg. Not wanting to disturb him while he trained, she opened her eyes and walked towards the jedi temple. Inside and adjacent to the dining area on the main level was a communal room with a fire pit in the center. It was here that she found her padawan sitting cross-legged on the floor staring into the flames. She was wearing a sleek black durasteel set of armor over a cream colored undershirt with her hair tied back into a small bun with a long braid down her back that ended in a brass tip. Celeste recognized the armoring as one Illiana wore when she trained with the sith lord Drakus in her youth and it was centuries old but just as strong and durable as when it was first crafted…probably on the same machine Olivaw intended to use this night to fashion his own set of armor. Quietly she walked to the far side of the pit from her padawan and sat down mirroring Illiana.

"I can feel my mother's pain as if it were my own," Illiana said as she continued staring into the flames. "If I were not trained as I am, I would be catatonic from the misery she endures." She looked through the fire to Celeste. "I am giving her all the relief I can through the Force, but I fear it is not enough."

"Is she alone?" the human asked.

Illiana closed her eyes and then after a moment shook her head. "There are others with her. I can sense their magics as they try to heal her, but nothing is working. There is much sorrow surrounding her…and fear."

"What is it they fear? Can you sense it?"

Again the padawan shook her head. "I do not know, master. I can only sense sorrow and fear."

Celeste closed her eyes and stretched out through the Force following her padawan's focus on Raeva. It was there…faint…but it was there. Sorrow and fear…fear of something unknown…fear of what had harmed the elven jedi…fear of an old darkness returning. She opened her eyes to see Illiana staring at her. "They fear the same thing we do, but they do not yet know it," Celeste told her padawan. "They are aware of her mission…aware of what she sought…and they are afraid of what she might have found."

"Demons," the padawan growled. "Satyrs, demons, and the worst of the Burning Legion." Celeste nodded her affirmation. "Then why do we wait? We should have left immediately. We should leave now. The longer we delay the weaker she becomes…and the stronger they grow."

"Patience, my padawan," Celeste said as she stood and walked over to stand next to Illiana. The elf looked up at her. "It is only a hunch we have that a portal has been opened, and we all need rest before we rush into a situation we can only speculate upon."

"I cannot rest while she suffers," Illiana responded as she looked back into the flames.

"You must try, Illiana," Celeste replied drawing the elf's glare. "Think of this…if you are tired and weary when you reach your mother…and if the Burning Legion has returned…how much benefit will you be to her? How effectively can you protect her if the demons coming charging when you are tired and weak from exhaustion? You can help her more if you are rested when you find her."

Illiana sighed deeply as she closed her eyes and nodded. "I think I understand, master. Patience was not a lesson Drakus taught."

"And yet it was due to the patience of a jedi that you are still alive instead of executed by the blood elves and then able to come here to learn more about the Force and become more capable of helping your mother when she needs you."

"You are right…I had not thought about that. I will try to find some rest, master," the elf answered with a nod and then stood up next to Celeste. "I still have much to learn."

Celeste watched her padawan as the elf walked to the lift that would take her to her quarters on the fourth level. After Illiana left, Celeste looked down at the fire pit, and reaching out through the Force extinguished the flames. The moon was full tonight and the benches and chairs arranged in circular rows around the room cast eerie shadows. This could be a restless night for everyone…the night before a battle usually was for those involved. Her mind raced with thoughts of the upcoming days and weeks…thoughts not only of Grogg but of Illiana and her mother, Dorak, Kuro and the other dragons…and worries of what they would find if the Burning Legion indeed had returned. She remembered escaping from Dalaran as the Scourge came killing mages indiscriminately as they entered the city and returning after the war to help rebuild it. So many she had grown up with training as a mage were killed or missing after that first day, and as she watched the smoke rising from the pit she knew she would not rest this night either.

With a heavy sigh she walked out of the room to the winding walkway that traversed from level to level along the outside of the tree. When she reached the second level she heard sounds of activity coming from the synthweaving room. Curious, she walked the short hallway to the room and entered to see Daneel and Kitali working with various materials on the machine while Zharn and Demira placed finished creations onto mannequins. Demira stepped backed from one she just hung, and Celeste's eyes widened at the outfit recently finished. The shoulders were covered with brown plasteel shoulder guards that closely wrapped around the top of the shoulder and the upper arms. A similarly brown plasteel chestplate was formed for a woman and ended just below where the breasts would be, and then across the abdomen was a black thermoweave undershirt with cream colored sleeves. Brown leather wrist guards each ended with a plasteel plate that would cover the back of the wearer's hand. A brown belt with several small pouches split the outfit as a full length skirt finished the robes. Brown leather traversed down the front and back, and along the sides was more black thermoweave with cream colored strips of a leathery appearing compound crisscrossed which kept the skirt tight even in windy conditions, but would stretch in combat allowing for freedom of movement and flexibility. As the mage turned, her eyes met with Celeste's, and with a smile she pointed at the human and then at the ensemble she had just hung.

"That is for you," Demira said. Celeste just gaped at it and then noticed Zharn step away from another mannequin where he just hung a similar outfit in white and black, and next to it she saw yet a third made in red and black. The elf noticed the knight's gaze and her smile widened. "The white one is Kitali's and the red's mine."

"Battledresses for the ladies of our order," Zharn added as he picked up a bundle of black material. He was wearing dark gray robes with black leggings and lighter gray undershirt, and Celeste noticed they were an exact match for the robes Daneel was wearing.

"I'm almost finished with your chestplate, honey," Kitali said to the orc without looking up from her work. "Do you want legplates also?"

"If you have the time," he answered as he placed the bundle on the floor next to his wife. He then looked over at the jedi grand master. "Are you certain you don't want any armoring, Daneel?"

"I have never worn armoring," was his answer as he worked with a black colored set of robes like those for Celeste, Demira, and Kitali. "I am just fine with the simple robes I have on."

"I guess no one is getting rest tonight," Celeste mused as she walked over to examine more closely the robes Demira indicated were hers. Demira and Zharn looked over at her. "Illiana is fretting about her mother…and I can't blame her. Olivaw is in the lower levels of the cave making some armoring of his own…"

"He found the old armormech machine?" Daneel asked as he worked. "He'll be disappointed when he finds out we have no Mandalorian Iron. When he was a soldier that was the only kind of armor he would wear. Even that bronze colored chestplate under his duster is made of the metal."

"I took him to our stockpile of Titansteel…he was very impressed with it, I think," Celeste responded. Demira walked over to where Daneel was working and accepted a piece he handed to her. Walking over to a bare mannequin, she hung the new thermoweave shirt on it. "I never knew he was a soldier."

"During the first war with the Empire," Daneel answered. "He was left behind with his squadmates after the fleet they were assigned to lost a battle in orbit. He was the only one to survive out of his unit, and after a few years when he returned to Republic space, he never rejoined the military."

"Kai and Grogg are out in the grove meditating," Celeste said changing back to her original subject. She reached out and touched one of the sleeves of her new armor and it was quite smooth and comfortable. Even the shoulder guard, when she touched it, felt light and almost weightless. "I haven't seen Master Dorak."

"Knowing him he's sleeping like a log," Daneel answered with mirth. "He never had trouble sleeping before a battle. When the second war started on Corellia he was always napping between battles. I think it's because of his ability to sense shatterpoints so well that he does not stress beforehand like the rest of us."

"What's a shatterpoint?" Zharn asked as Daneel handed a shoulder guard to his wife who then took it over to the mannequin with the black shirt. "I don't think I have heard you mention that before."

"Shatterpoints are weaknesses one can sense through the Force…like fault lines in bedrock or in a crystal," Celeste answered for her former master. "They can be in objects, places, events…almost anything. During my duel with Illiana I could sense several shatterpoints and avoided them because at the time we thought her death would activate the drill."

"A fighter like Dorak can sense through the Force weaknesses in armor that normally would be thought of as indestructible," Daneel added as he worked on another shoulder guard. "With a focused burst of the Force…like a push…he can shatter the armor to pieces with a single thought. Some fighters have been known to sense old wounds in their opponent and reopen them during a battle."

"And as for events, a single action or influence of an individual can affect the outcome of that event. Not like foretelling the future, but sensing when an action taken at a specific time can affect events to follow. Right now Garrosh Hellscream is a shatterpoint for the current war between the Alliance and the Horde. Remove him and the war ends, but at some point as the war progresses he ceases being the shatterpoint of the war and something or someone different replaces him. Like a fracture or critical point…an action taken or not taken could result in a variety of outcomes, but through the Force we can sense the specifics of that outcome due to the actions we take or decline. We can base our actions, say during a battle, to win it and end it quickly if possible," Celeste continued. "But timing during such shatterpoints is crucial often only having brief moments or even seconds in which to act or the chance is lost."

"And Dorak is a natural at seeing shatterpoints during a battle or duel," Daneel said. "It was that ability that helped him defeat the Emperor. Sensing shatterpoints is not something that can be trained, however, but more of something that comes with being a Force sensitive and some are more attuned to seeing them than others. Many of the order's weaponmasters were also tremendous visionaries of shatterpoints."

"And you? Did you sense the coming of one of these when making our plans to head south?" Kitali asked as she handed her finished chestplate to her husband.

"No," he answered. "Not a shatterpoint but more of a disturbance in the Force. Something is happening in Desolace that is of great significance. The movements of the Titan drill can lead anyone to that conclusion, but I sense something else…something ancient and malevolent…and something that we must face soon or consequences could be very dire for the world."

They worked through the night fashioning armor and robes for Grogg and Kai'moira as well. Celeste helped when she could and delivered Illiana's robes to her when Daneel had finished them. Not surprisingly the padawan had not slept, but she was in a mild form of meditation when Celeste found her. Grogg's outfit was similar to Zharn's with a plasteel chestplate and matching legplates. Kai'moira's robes were much simpler like Daneel's. As a healer she abhorred wearing armoring, according to the grand master. Her top was short like her previous one made by Kitali, but light gray in color with blue trim and more form fitting with a hood and a similarly matching full length skirt. Just after dawn all of the jedi met in the communal room of the temple where Daneel and Kitali presented the rest the jedi with their robes. As each left to dress in their new outfits, Kuro, Tariolstrasz, and Vethsera arrived. Upon the other's return, Demira opened a portal to Darnassus for the dragons and the three jedi joining them.

When Grogg stepped forward to travel through the portal, Celeste stopped him and looked up into his eyes. "I made this for you last night," she said to the orc as she held out the lightsaber she had crafted. No one moved to interrupt her and as the orc glanced at his master he noticed the miraluka smiling and nodding approval. He looked down into Celeste's eyes. "You will need something more substantial than a training blade."

"Thank you, master," he replied as he took the hilt from her hand. It fit his grip perfectly as she intended. Then without any warning she reached up with both hands to grab his face and kissed him. His heart raced even as their lips parted, and he looked down at her beautiful face smiling at him. "I…"

"Remember your training, Grogg, and trust in the Force," she told him. "And make sure you are there to be the first to greet me when I arrive."

A nervous smile crossed the orc's lips. "I will…I promise." He looked at the rest of those around them and all were smiling at the couple. Zharn and Kitali each had an arm wrapped around the other's waist. Kuro and the dragons stood to the side, but Kuro nodded her own approval to the orc and human. Illiana was also smiling but occasionally looked back towards the jedi temple and the mountain behind. Looking back at Celeste his nervousness left him. "And I will make you proud of me."

"I don't want proud," she answered as she placed her hands on his chest. "I want you safe and alive." With a nod he held her hands with his wishing that now of all times he didn't have to leave her.

After a moment Daneel walked over and instructed the departing jedi to enter the portal. The three dragons entered first followed by Dorak who gave Celeste a wink as he walked through…a gesture to assure her he would protect and train Grogg and her padawan while they were separated and on their portion of the mission. Illiana was still looking around pensively for the one person that was missing, Olivaw. He had not arrived with the rest of the jedi and except for late the night before no one had seen the smuggler. Grogg gave Celeste a wave and smiled as he walked through, and she watched him with her hands clasped before her mouth and a worried look in her eyes. Illiana was about to step into the portal as the last person of the expeditionary party to depart, but Olivaw still had not shown. With a sigh and bowing her head she stepped through and into Darnassus.

After the portal collapsed the jedi dispersed to finish packing for their leg of the journey, but Kai'moira stalked to the cave where Olivaw was last seen. On the second level she found him passed out on the floor near the armormech machine. He had spent the entire night crafting a set of armor almost identical to what he wore as a Republic soldier that was now scattered across a tabletop on the opposite side of the room. Her anger fled as she examined his work and realized that in his current position he must have started to leave before exhaustion overwhelmed him and he collapsed on the floor. He had worked the Titansteel with a mixture of cortosis into a weave that was flexible like most leathers yet durable and ablative to most forms of elemental attacks like the plasma energy from lightsabers and some types of blasters. Its effectiveness against particle beam bolts that came from the most common types of blasters she did not know. It would not stop swords, axes, or most other melee weapons, but arrows and projectile slugs it would deflect easily. The dark blue jacket was waist length with silver Titansteel chevrons for shoulder guards that rose a few inches above the shoulder. These would block a melee weapon aimed at his neck from the side. Kai'moira noticed that on each one Olivaw had engraved the insignia of his old squad from when he was a Republic soldier. A brown chestplate made to resemble a shirt lay next to the jacket. A few scraps of turadium nearby hinted at the material used in its construction which meant it could withstand at least one cut by a lightsaber. Dark blue pants, gauntlets, and boots also sat on the table and appeared to be constructed like the jacket. What piqued Kai'moira's interest were the blaster holsters that were fashioned not only in the same material but also in style as the shoulder guards with the names of his fallen squadmates engraved on each. She looked back at the slumbering Olivaw and smiled. Even today, decades later, he was still fighting his demons from long ago, and the upcoming conflict only served as a reminder to him of what he had lost in that war. When they rejoined with the others near Desolace she would be certain to tell Illiana of what she had witnessed this morning. Perhaps it would help the elf understand why he was not present when she left with the others for Darnassus. For now she decided to let the zabrak sleep since they themselves would not be departing until later that afternoon.


	8. The War Begins

**_Part Eight: The War Begins_**

Aeyrn flew through the mountains of Northrend near Dragonblight. He had been told about the jedi temple but had never actually seen it. It shouldn't have been hard to find...how many mountains had a giant tree growing along the side? Now as he flew amongst the third range of mountains he realized it was more secluded than he imagined. Raeva had described the location in great detail, but her perspective was from the ground and not high in the air as he was now. He had even stopped once to change from the form of a raven to that of a hawk, but even with swifter flight and keener eyes he was still not sure of where to look. After a few more hours when he finally did locate the jedi temple he almost missed it. The canopy of leaves simply appeared like any other forest along the mountainside and crevice, but it was as he flew over that he spotted a house built into the side of the mountain across the valley, and then what looked like another under construction in the corner of the crevice. Not realizing why he did, Aeyrn looked behind him and saw several of the jedi moving about on the ground, and then he saw the giant tree. He found it! A flush of hope overtook him as he dove for the valley floor not realizing that he was not expected. His thoughts focused on finding the leader of the jedi and, he hoped, the one who could save Raeva; but a bolt of red light shot past him, and he nearly tumbled from the wake it left as it flew by. Below a man was waving his arms in the air, and another person with green skin tackled the other while Aeyrn regained control of his descent. The closer he approached he could finally hear voices as the two men untangled from each other on the ground.

"What in space did you do that for?" the one who waved his arms asked the other. "It's set to stun!"

"Is this what you do for fun and sport where you come from? Firing on hapless animals?" the green one growled He was a strangely dressed orc now that the druid could see him more clearly, and he guessed it was the one named Zharn that had coordinated with the priestess of Elune during the last crisis and was well respected by the night elves who spent time with him while he stayed in Darnassus. Only a few select orcs were called friend by the kaldorei and this man was one of those. "I will no longer tolerate such behavior!"

"What about now?" the other asked pointing at Aeyrn. "It's coming right at us…not so hapless or helpless now by the looks of it." Apparently the fact that he had most likely provoked an animal did not seem to cross his mind as he pleaded his case with Zharn. Just then Aeyrn transformed while just ten feet from the ground and landed deftly on his feet. "What the…are there any people on this world who actually look like what they are supposed to be?" He looked at the orc who was now laughing. "That's not funny. I didn't know I was shooting at an actual person. I swear…I've found a world full of changelings!"

The orc continued laughing as he ignored the strange man…a man with several horns on his head now that Aeyrn stopped to actually pay attention to details…and walked up to the druid. "Sorry about that," he said to the night elf. "He's new to this world and apparently where he comes from manners are in short supply with regards to creatures unlike himself."

The man with the horny head stalked away muttering to himself. "Blasted…no good…son of a…"

"Are you the one called Zharn?" the druid asked very seriously while ignoring the man that left him with the orc and skipping formalities. The laughter ended and the smile waned on the orc's face as he nodded back. "I am Aeyrn…and I have news about Raeva."

He looked around and noticed a blue skinned woman in gray robes standing near the entrance to the jedi temple and stuffing something into a pack and beside her was a female draenei in white armoring. She was packing like the other, but also looking in the opposite direction and as the druid followed her gaze he saw yet two more approaching, a man and a woman. The woman was a high elf and wore red armoring like the draenei while the human male donned gray robes, and as he looked back at Zharn he noticed his gray robes also had armoring like the women but otherwise looked like the human's.

"Are you…planning to go to war?" he asked hoping he was not too late or that he could at least get one of them to join him in saving Raeva.

"That is…complicated," the orc replied as he motioned towards the approaching couple. At that moment a short human woman with blonde hair and wearing brown armor emerged from the temple and joined the other two packing. "Perhaps it would be better if the grand master explained things. He'll also want to know what information you have about our ailing comrade."

The druid's eyes widened. "How do you know she's been hurt?" he asked just as the man with white hair and metal visor approached. The woman with him joined the others. He had never met the jedi personally…he was unconscious when the man and two others healed his wounds, but he knew what other night elves had told him and in his mind there was no doubt that this was the jedi Tyrande Whisperwind called _friend_ of the kaldorei.

"Because I have sensed her suffering through the Force," Daneel said stopping before the night elf. Aeyrn had to look down at the shorter man but for some reason, as he could feel the tremendous power the smaller being controlled, the druid felt intimidated by him. "Please…Aeyrn of the kaldorei…tell me all you know of what happened to our friend."

* * *

Three beings in simple black robes, two male and one female, stood near the edge of a cliff of a small mountain. Behind them were almost a hundred satyrs and orcs, some on the ground and some on assorted levels of scaffolding, working diligently on a circular structure that was nearly fifty feet in diameter. The stone and metal ring was ten feet thick leaving the middle open showing the landscape on the other side like a window. Its base was rectangular with outrigging wires connected to various points of the ring to stabilize it. Occasionally one or more of those working on the structure would look pensively at the three figures facing away from them, but only for a few seconds and never slowing their work in the process. Fear controlled them…fear propelled them to continue the work…to fail would mean a fate worse than death. Already a handful of the workers had suffered the wrath of those three robed beings…suffered and continued such as they also worked amongst the living. Even the sweet silence of oblivion was denied them.

Okus looked out over the valley below while Atazay and Dzovitza milled around behind him. For years they had waited for this moment when they would open the portal for their master and once and for all destroy this miserable world. Trapped here after the last war and with their bodies mortally wounded, they had found these three creatures and inhabited their bodies crushing the essences of the mortals within. The three continued to live with a surprise bonus…they retained some of the memories and abilities of the original inhabitants of the bodies which when coupled with their own identities and powers made them almost godlike. They remembered that their master had brought this race called sith to this world from another one far distant from here. After years of sneaking through towns and villages and crossing the great ocean between continents, the three…the triumvirate…discovered this place where their kind was not only accepted but revered. The personal cost had been great, but now on the cusp of victory each could feel their master's call…vengeance would soon be theirs. This time no one could stop them.

"I miss my old body," Dzovitza said as she looked down at her balled fist. Once she had been an eredar standing almost seven feet tall with beautiful hooves and red skin and horns that curved ever so elegantly from her forehead. Now she was stuck in this body with green skin, useless fleshy tentacles on her face, and short like a human. "This one is so small."

"They may be small," Okus said without turning around. "But they wield great power. With this body I hold more power in my hand than Kil'jaeden himself. These things in their bodies…midi-chlorians they called them…make us capable of harnessing tremendous amounts of energy…more than our old bodies could. And their weapons…unlike any in the entirety of the Legion…are capable of cutting through anything. Do you think it is by chance that Sargeras has chosen us to lead his army this time?"

"And the one that Atazay defeated in the wilds? She wielded a weapon such as ours. Do you not suspect a danger that more of these creatures possess similar weapons and pose a threat to us?" the woman asked still examining her fist.

"She was weak as are all of these natives and we will crush them. Atazay defeated her easily. Even if more had these weapons I doubt any know how to properly use them. That woman probably found hers off the corpse of another of these _sith_, and her ineptitude in its use against our compatriot only serves as proof. We have nothing to fear from those that might have lightsabers…they will fall like all the rest of those living on this world. Our master knows this and that is why we lead this army," was the answer.

"I believe it is more a matter of convenience," Atazay responded. Standing almost a foot taller than the other two with massive shoulders and a muscular torso, he was the least powerful of the three. Something about this body hindered his ability to fully use fel energies as he had in his eredar body. It was flawed in some way…it had too many of the things called midi-chlorians that Okus was certain made them powerful. And there was the incessant ringing in his head. The closer he came to large populations of living beings the worse it became, and he wanted to kill everything if just to end the noise. "The portal failed…and if we cannot reopen it soon Sargeras will not care how much power we possess. He does not tolerate failure. Were we not already on this world, it would be Kil'jaeden leading this army…not us."

Okus turned and pointed at the circular structure behind them. "Repairs are under way and will soon be complete…and then our lord's victory will also be complete. Mere hours or days are trivial when there is nothing here to stop us from achieving our goal."

"I didn't get that impression from him when the portal collapsed," Dzovitza said under her breath while relaxing her fingers and then balling them into a fist over and over. "We have failed once before…these sith failed to even try as our master bade them…and to think he does not remember or has overlooked such is foolish."

"What was that, my dear?" Okus asked as he walked over and stood nose to nose with woman. "I think my hearing must be faulty in this body."

She rolled her eyes before answering. "I said…will they have the structure more soundly secured this time? Or will it fall over again because our builders are sloppy?"

"It will be perfect this time," he answered loudly and more for the workers than for Dzovitza. Several of them who were looking in their taskmaster's direction quickly shifted their focus back to their work. No word was spoken for the next moment as the air was filled with sounds of tools on metal or stone. "See…the work will be completed and the portal firmly secure for when our master arrives."

"And what about them?" Atazay asked as he pointed to the valley below. Restlessly scouring the valley was a thousand demons. Four legged felhounds with their twin tentacles writhing from their backs, armored felguards with horns lined along their backs to their heads, ered'ruin with hoofed legs and wings protruding from their backs, and several eredar comprised the bulk of the army waiting for mortals to slay. "They are here now and hunger…what shall we do with them while the portal is being repaired? Let them sit down there until they kill each other from boredom?"

"I have plans for them…and for both of you," Okus replied as he walked to the edge of the cliff. "You will both take this army and proceed north into the lands of the druids. They have been spying on us for too long. That woman you slew, Atazay, was only one of many who have dared trespass on our soil." He turned to look at the others. "End their existence…leave nothing alive. Do not even bother raising the dead to augment our army. Kill them all and then burn the land."

"Both of us? Is that wise?" Dzovitza asked. Atazay beside her nodded his exact sentiment. She was more powerful than Atazay, but for some strange reason Okus' new body had fewer of the things called midi-chlorians and yet curiously was more powerful than both of them. If he wanted he could crush her and Atazay, and now was not the time to provoke him. Soon, when the master was with them, but not now. Their only recourse was to follow his lead.

"Both of you. I will remain here and continue with the repairs to the portal. By the time you have slain the druids this project will be complete and Sargeras will step onto this world at last."

* * *

Daneel stood before Tyrande Whisperwind and a being of the draenei race. After Aeyrn had informed him of the severity of Raeva's wounds and the healers' inability to help her, he opted to cut their trip short by at least a few days by having Demira open a portal to Darnassus. Once they had arrived he sought news of the others who had been sent before, and it was Shandris Feathermoon who told him they had left almost immediately for Desolace earlier that day. She also told the jedi grand master that there was a guest who was awaiting his arrival to the kaldorei capitol, and Daneel proceeded immediately to the Temple of Elune while the others prepared to journey south. That guest was the draenei standing before him now…a man named Velen. But when he arrived nothing was said at first, instead Tyrande handed him a letter from her husband, Malfurion, which he now read.

_Master jedi, _

_I regret I cannot be there in person to greet you, but I believe as you that the Burning Legion has returned, and I have left for Moonglade to reenter the Emerald Dream where I believe I can be of greatest assistance to you and the rest of your jedi. It was during my previous visit that I encountered a shroud that clouded the area of Mannoroc Coven…a shroud that despite my best efforts I could not penetrate or see within. It was I who approached Ysera for help in the matter of discovering what was happening in that region, and I know she sought you for assistance knowing of your abilities which differ greatly from ours. When I learned of what had happened to your fellow jedi, I sent several more druids to the area and they should be there to assist you when you arrive. I believe Tyrande also plans to send sentinels there as well. _

_I dread what I sense is coming, Master Jedi, and I will not deny it. As you know I fought in the first war with the Burning Legion…saw the danger they pose and know firsthand the consequences should they prevail. I know you will face them and die, if necessary, to protect our world just as I. Hopefully it will not come to that for either of us. Tyrande will insist on joining you in your struggle against the demons. There is nothing either you or I can say to dissuade her, so I ask only that you do what you can to protect her. She means more to me than anything in this world…just as I know that your wife, Demira, means the same to you. I wish you the best of luck, my friend, and may Elune grant us the strength to prevail._

_Malfurion _

Daneel looked up from the letter to the priestess. She was smiling and looking out past him to where the others prepared for their journey in the temple's courtyard. Velen stood beside her closely examining the jedi grand master. Daneel placed the letter on a nearby table and took a deep breath.

"So I am not the only one who suspects the Burning Legion is already acting in Mannoroc Coven," he stated looking back towards the night elf and the draenei. "I take it he is now in this Emerald Dream?"

"He is," Tyrande answered still looking out at the courtyard. "I do not see Kitali or Zharn with you."

"They have left for the Maelstrom," Daneel replied. "They hope to gather support with the Earthen Ring and other shamans to help face this crisis. They will rejoin us in the Cenarion Wildlands."

"I had hoped to meet this orc named Zharn," Velen said breaking his silence. "I would like to meet the man who stole our young draenei's heart." Daneel cocked his head at the draenei leader and prophet. He was wearing mostly white robes with a multi-colored tabard. On his shoulders were large pouldrons with several large protrusions sprouting from the top that bent at right angles towards the man's head. Velen's face was also mostly obscured by a long white beard, but the jedi could see wisdom in the glowing eyes and sensed the power the man possessed. "I do not have issue with their union as some of my people do, if that is your worry. But Kitali at one time hated orcs as most draenei do, and the fact that she fell in love and married one…he must be of great character. I would like to meet this incredible man."

"When this crisis is resolved I am sure that could be arranged," the jedi responded.

"The crisis…yes…though I would call it something more dire," Velen said as he folded his arms to clasp his hands behind his back. "Each time the Burning Crusade has been engaged in battle it has cost countless lives and caused great damage to the land. More often than not the result is the destruction of another world and the annihilation or enslavement of an entire civilization. Azeroth has been fortunate in defeating the Legion, but odds are not in its favor and decrease with each incursion. This is not a crisis, but a matter of survival." He smiled at the jedi. "I do not mean to preach, but I have had many dealings with the Burning Crusade and its leaders. Two of them were brothers to me before the temptation of Sargeras changed them to man'ari."

"I know some of your history…at least that which Kitali has told me," Daneel replied. "That the name _draenei_ in your language actually means _exiled ones_. And I know what happened between the orcs and the draenei on Draenor and the source of the…animosity…between your peoples. She and Zharn both hope that their union might be an example to help your races heal and regain the friendship you once shared before the betrayal of Gul'dan and Ner'zhul at the hands of Kil'jaeden…one of those man'ari you mentioned." He stepped closer to Velen. "But I would not act as a Sharu just yet…where there is a will there is hope…and no army…no matter how large…is invincible."

"What is a Sharu?" Velen asked with a smile. So far what Tyrande had told him of this man was true. Most beings of this world would be intimidated by him, but this man not only was not afraid to stand up to him…he now spoke as a teacher which was something no being had done to him in millennia. Instead of feeling angered at what some would see as the jedi's impudence, he was intrigued by this man…an alien from another world like him.

"They are a myth…a legend in my home galaxy. A race of beings called Celestials ruled the galaxy from over three hundred thousand years ago until around thirty-seven thousand years ago and enslaved many other advanced races and conflicted with others like the Gree and the Kwa. The Sharu…in their fear of the Celestials…destroyed all of their technology and killed those members of their species with an intellect above a certain level. They hoped that in _dumbing_ their civilization they could avoid the attention of the Celestials, but in the end they were still enslaved and their race no longer exists. Yet the Celestials were eventually defeated…or replaced…history is uncertain…by a species known as the Rakata. No one knows for certain what became of the Sharu or the Celestials except that some constructs of theirs remain. We know for certain that the Rakata ruled the galaxy for over eleven millennia before they too were defeated…by a plague. So as you see…even those that _seem_ invincible are not."

"And if these…Sharu…had acted instead of hiding perhaps it could have been them instead of the Rakata who replaced these Celestials?" Velen asked in answer. "An interesting analogy."

"And with a lesson that I suspect you also believe," Daneel responded. "If you truly felt the Burning Legion could not be stopped…that all that is possible is to merely survive…you would not be here now."

Tyrande smiled as she stepped up beside the two men forming a triangle. She looked at the draenei prophet. "I told you he was very wise."

"That he is," Velen agreed. "And one that I feel I can entrust the wellbeing of my people." He looked at Daneel. "Like my friends Tyrande and Malfurion, I too have sent a small army to assist you in Desolace," he said. "The ship with some of my greatest warriors from every discipline left our shores this morning."

"I am honored," the jedi replied with a bow of his head. He then looked at Tyrande. "Although I would like to stay and enjoy your hospitality, Tyrande, I am afraid we must depart shortly for the south. But I came here to ask you, specifically a question that I hope you can answer…how did the first war with the Burning Legion end? How did you defeat them?"

"That is a long and involved answer, but I will answer as best I can. For my part I was only present in one part of the end," she answered. "Why is it that you ask?"

"Because the Force has granted me a vision…and I sense that what I have seen is in some way linked to how the first war ended," he answered.

"A vision?" Velen asked. "Tell me of this vision."

Daneel took a deep breath. Velen was the prophet of the draenei and had experienced many visions. The jedi's admittance to having one himself further intrigued him. "I was standing before a structure…a giant ring…" Daneel began. "In the center was a swirling mass of energy and I could sense millions of beings on the other side…but the other side was not the opposite from me of the structure but in another realm…another dimension."

"A portal," Tyrande gasped.

"What else?" Velen asked. "What else happened in your vision?"

"As I stood before the ring I could feel a presence amongst the millions…one that was more powerful than any I have ever sensed….more dark and twisted than the nexus created by an Old God in Silithus…more horrifying than the Dread Lords back in my home galaxy that can kill with a single thought…and it looked at me…and I think it was Sargeras."

* * *

Adaria struggled to place more bandages on Raeva's wounds. The litter continuously bounced as the druids fled the outpost near the edge of Mannoroc Coven. In the middle of the night one of the scouts returned covered in blood. With his partner, they were reconning the Coven when they found an army of around a thousand demons and led by two of the reported black robed beings moving in their direction. When they started to retreat back to the outpost, they were ambushed by several felhounds killing his partner, and he raced back just ahead of the demons. The guards of the outpost killed the felhounds, but not before two of them were killed. After that it was a mad rush as the druids and the few sentinels with them prepared to abandon the outpost and head for Karnum's Glade. Adaria protested at first explaining that Raeva's wounds were to severe to move her, but after learning of the approaching army she could no longer argue, and now as they hastened their retreat she attended to the unconscious elf's wounds.

Already she could hear the sounds of battle behind her as a fellow druid in bear form pulled the litter carrying Raeva. Blood curdling screams and roars of demons echoed through the southern forest of the Cenarion Wildlands. She tried to block out as much as she could as she tended the jedi's back. It was when the litter suddenly stopped that she looked up to see a felhound with its two tentacles attached to the druid who had been pulling them. He shifted from bear form to night elven and then began to shrivel as the demon drained the magical and then life energies from his body. Crying out, Adaria leapt at the beast as she pulled two daggers from their sheaths at her hips. The felhound had not seen her and it roared in agony as she plunged both blades into the base of its neck. It released the husk that was left of the other druid and began bucking as it tried to shake off its attacker, but Adaria held the hilts of her daggers with a viselike grip. Deciding it could not shake her loose, the felhound then ran towards a nearby tree and pivoted at the last second before impact striking the trunk with its shank. Adaria's grip slipped and she fell from its back leaving one her daggers still embedded in the beast. On her right knee and holding the ichor stained dagger in her left hand, she faced the felhound as it circled around her…tentacles waving in the air searching for an opening to attach to her body and suck the life from her as it had the other druid. With her right hand, Adaria reached into her pouch at her waist while keeping her eyes on the beast stalking her. Her fingers searched through the seeds and plant fragments she kept until she found what she wanted. The felhound tired of its game with her and lunged, and at the precise moment it would strike her Adaria pulled out the intended seeds and blew them into the gaping maw of the demon. She rolled to the side as it struck the trunk of the tree from its momentum and writhed at the base. She whispered a spell and within seconds the seeds heated and grew in size within the beast, and just as her brother had destroyed the terentatek almost a year ago, the felhound exploded covering the area in ichor and gore.

Adaria did not stay to examine the fallen demon, instead turning and running back to the litter holding Raeva. The woman was untouched, but as she looked around Adaria noticed they were alone and the sounds of battle had drawn farther away from them. Fear tugged at her chest, but holding it back she shifted to the form of a raven and flew towards the tops of the trees. The army was close but heading away from them and in the direction of Karnum's Glade. Druids ran ahead of the demons, but one by one they were dragged down and killed. Adaria looked in all different directions around them, and she could see felhounds stalking the forest searching for stragglers. They were trapped unless she could find someplace to hide and hope the demons passed them by. Then a thought crossed her mind…as she watched the demons none of them looked up…not a single one. She flew back to land beside Raeva and changed not back into her night elven form but that of an ape. Hoping she was not further injuring the unconscious jedi, she picked up Raeva in one arm and began climbing the nearest large tree. With luck they could avoid the attention of the demons in the treetops…with luck.

* * *

Malfurion Stormrage's ethereal form arrived to the region in the Emerald Dream where the Burning Legion attacked the druids just in time to see Adaria defeat the felhound. As the woman picked up the injured elven jedi and climbed a tree nearby, he whispered to it asking for protection for the two women from being seen by the demons still lurking in the area. As Adaria climbed, branches and leaves moved to hide her from view of any passersby on the ground. Above the druid in ape form several more branches moved to form a small platform, and as Adaria reached it and gently laid Raeva down across as flat and even as she could, leaves enveloped them in a protective cocoon. The Archdruid thanked the tree for assisting his friends, and left the area searching for more of his people to help. His heart saddened as all he could find were the husks left behind by felhounds or mutilated bodies of druids and sentinels alike left where the ered'ruin and felguards had slaughtered them. He studied the demon army as it slowly moved north and towards Karnum's Glade. Fearing what would happen if the Legion reached the druid outpost unaware, he raced ahead of them until he reached a small rocky hill with a creek running at its base. He reached out to talk to the spirits of the rocks and water asking them to help bar the way of the army if even for just a small time. The waters roared and flooded the valley below the hill and rocks ran down its side resting at the bottom forming a dam that would help the waters stay in one place. He thanked the elements for their assistance, and raced ahead towards Karnum's Glade. With luck he could find one of their druids in the Emerald Dream and warn them of the danger coming from the south. The blockage would not stop the Burning Legion but it would stall their advance. The war had begun.


	9. So Much for That Idea

**_Part Nine: So Much for That Idea_**

Waves lapped against the hull of the ship as it travelled south along the western coast of Kalimdor. In the aft section of the upper deck several draenei shamans sat with totems surrounding them asking the winds for favorable speed in their journey which created an overcast sky. The crew was mostly kaldorei, and several worked the lines of the wind-full sails while others prepared the ship's canons and arms in case they met with pirates or Horde vessels. They were not looking for a fight with either group instead intent to reach Desolace, but readiness for any surprises was vital on this mission. Several druids were also on board and flew in avian form around the vessel as scouts returning to report to the officers what they had seen and of dangers, if any, they had spotted from the air. The morale on the vessel was grim…they were heading to war and all knew it including the two mates who mopped the deck. Many of them might not survive to return home.

Demira sat with Daneel near the bow. Both were cross-legged, hands resting palms up on their knees, and in the elf's case with eyes closed. Several of the crew in their area observed them but also gave them plenty of space. They were essentially the leaders of the mission with powers and abilities never tried against the Burning Legion. If what they were doing could bring even a small chance of victory all the better to leave them be, but curiosity didn't mean they couldn't at least watch what the couple was doing…whatever it was. When the woman finally did open her eyes, the voyeurs diverted their gawking in the hopes she hadn't caught them. Calmly she stood up and walked to the railing of the bow and looked out over the sea. Seconds later the man stood and joined her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Some eyes still gazed on the couple, but they appeared oblivious to them.

"Do you remember the day when we first met?" Demira asked the jedi as she wrapped her arms around his. "The day you arrived on Azeroth?"

"Of course I do," he answered placing his cheek against hers as they gazed out over the waters. "It was the best day of my life."

"Mine too," she whispered. She turned her head to kiss him and then back to look out over the sea. "I wouldn't change a thing about that day or most of them since then."

"Not even when you burned your finger touching things I told you not to?" he asked with a smile.

"You mean this finger?" she asked pointing in the air with her right index finger and then she playfully poked his nose with it. "I would especially not change that…it led to our first flirt."

"Our first flirt…I remember that…it was…horrible," he said with a laugh.

"It was not…it was a great flirt," she countered with mirth. "It wasn't perhaps the most romantic…but it was great…it led us here."

"Very true," he replied. They stood silently holding each other for a few moments…the crew working behind them and once in a while one would peak over at the couple. "Do you remember what today is?" he asked her.

"Of course I do," she replied. "It's our anniversary. Not quite the way we had planned to spend it, but as long as we are together that is all that matters to me."

"Close your eyes," he told her.

"Daneel?"

"Just…close your eyes."

With a sigh she closed her eyes tightening her hold on his arms. Smiling, Daneel looked up to the clouds overhead and reached out with his left hand.

"Hey…what are you doing?" Demira asked as she peaked down at his right arm still around her waist.

"Keep your eyes closed…it's a surprise," he answered still holding his left arm towards the sky. "And don't open them until I tell you."

She sighed deeply again but did as he asked because she trusted him implicitly. Daneel still looked up at the sky, and a section of the clouds parted allowing the sun's rays to shine upon the waters. Twisting the fingers of his left hand and moving it slightly left and right, he reached out with the Force and manipulated the light's rays…bending them into a kaleidoscope of colors. It was not a rainbow that formed as one would see after a storm, but a menagerie of colors flashing wildly in the sky. Charges of lightning danced between the colors causing them to change from red to blue to green to yellow and to all the variations of the spectrum. With a final twist of his wrist, Daneel lowered his arm and wrapped it back around the waist of his beloved. Behind them were gasps and cheers as shamans, druids, and crew gazed and pointed at the wondrous light show cast before the ship. Morale improved amongst those on the ship as all on the deck watched the light spectacle.

"Open your eyes, my love," Daneel whispered to Demira. As she did they widened and she brought her hands to her open mouth. "Happy Anniversary, Demira."

"It's…it's beautiful," she said quietly as she watched the colors dance.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you," he whispered into her ear. She turned around in his arms to face him. "You like it?"

"I love it," she answered with a kiss. "And I love you."

Further towards the aft of the ship, Celeste, Kai'moira, and Olivaw emerged from below to see the cascade of colors ahead of the bow of the ship. The young human gasped at the sight while the smuggler and elder jedi simply laughed. Aeyrn had been watching the mystical light show. He couldn't rest as he worried about his sister and Raeva. The druid had found the jedi just in time, but it was only a small relief as Daneel explained to him the revelations from the Titan drill and other indicators the Burning Legion had returned. They were preparing to leave for Desolace when he arrived at the jedi temple, and since then the druid second guessed his decision to leave the elven jedi and his sister behind and in proximity to the upcoming danger of the demons' arrival. He was pacing the deck as his mind raced when Daneel's spectacle began, and when he saw the others walk onto the deck, he approached them.

"What is that?" he asked them hoping one of them would answer.

"It's a called a Rainbow Storm," Kai'moira answered. "It's a manipulation of light through the Force. Nothing dangerous…it's just a demonstration of the strength of one's connection to the Force by manipulating the physics of light itself."

"So any jedi can do that?" he asked gaping at her.

"No…only those extremely strong in the Force can do that…I can't and I am considered very powerful by the order back home." She looked over at the smuggler who was smiling widely now. "Daneel's showing off for his wife, I see."

"Yep," Olivaw said. "Now I know how ole Stuffed Shirt landed such a beauty." He placed both of his hands by his mouth. "Show-off!" he yelled towards the bow. The jedi and his wife, if they did hear him, did not react to the smuggler's outburst as they kissed each other passionately before the spectacle of light behind them.

* * *

The three dragons with their jedi riders landed in Karnum's Glade amongst a flurry of activity. Taurens and night elves worked feverishly to erect barricades between outlying structures. Flights of birds circled the outpost and large animals appeared to patrol the trees nearby. Dorak jumped from Kuro's back once she landed and surveyed the area. It was too open and judging by the activity he surmised the druids were bracing for an attack. An army of any size would overrun the barricades and decimate the outpost. He looked at Kuro, still in dragon form, and shook his head. They needed a more securable place for these people. Illiana leapt from the back of Vethsera and Grogg from Tariolstrasz. The three jedi grouped together as Vethsera transformed into a night elf and with a nod left to search for Karnum Marshweaver, the leader of the outpost.

The jedi master had observed that for much of their trip over the area called Desolace it was dry and barren. But here in the central part, as Kuro had told him during their flight, the Cataclysm had changed waterways and the Cenarion Wildlands were formed. The druids' presence here was due to their desire to expand the lush plains area outwards in the hopes of revitalizing the region. Hindering their progress were four tribes of centaurs, half humanoid and half equine, that constantly warred with outsiders and each other. The dragon had told him that in much of those barren areas they flew over were vast graveyards from any number of centaur wars over the centuries. In the north they also flew near Thunder Axe Fortress which was controlled by demon aligned orcs called the Burning Blade Clan. They were loosely connected to those in Mannoroc Coven, and she told him _loosely_ in that no activity had been seen from the fortress since the Coven became the center of focus for the druids. That connection concerned the jedi master as he could see no real way to fortify their position. This place was a deathtrap if the Legion was moving in their direction. An army marching up from the south, the fortress of probable demon allies in the north, high mountains in the east and the ocean in the west made their predicament even more dire…there was nowhere to escape. There were a few smaller mountains in the Wildlands, but once outside the land was barren…no place to hide if necessary to avoid an approaching army.

Vethsera soon returned accompanied by a tauren dressed in simple brown leathers. Where Dorak stood close to six feet tall, this being with the green dragon was at least another two feet taller. His race reminded Dorak vaguely of the Esh-Ka from Belsavis. Whereas humans were theorized to have evolved from an ape-like species, the taurens' genetic ancestry was obviously of a bovine origin. But even with that distinct difference in their races, Dorak could still sense the being was worried as the dragon and tauren neared.

"A human, an orc, and an elf? Have the dragons brokered a peace between the Alliance and the Horde?" the apparent druid leader asked Vethsera as they approached the three jedi with Kuro and Tariolstrasz nearby still in their natural dragon forms. "I hope so with what is coming."

"I am afraid not," the dragon answered as the pair stopped about five feet from Dorak. "Karnum Marshweaver…may I introduce Jedi Master Dorak and two other jedi of the order here on Azeroth, Grogg and Illiana."

All three bowed their heads to the tauren who returned their gesture. Karnum then walked up close to Illiana and stared at her face. After a minute he leaned back and lowered his head again. "Like the one that came here before…Raeva I believe her name was. Sad…what happened to her." He looked back up at Illiana. "I assume you are her daughter she talked about? She was so proud of you and what you were doing. You look so much like her."

"My mother?" Illiana asked looking at the faces around her and then back at the druid who had lowered his head again. "What happened to my mother? Do you know where she is? Can I see her?"

Karnum kept his head lowered. "I am sorry, child," he said solemnly. "She was injured severely by something…we do not know. Some experienced healers left here several days ago to a small outpost near the border of Mannoroc Coven…it has been overrun by demons…the same that are marching towards us now." He looked into the padawan's eyes. "I regret to have to tell you this…but we know of no survivors from the outpost…including your mother." He looked at the others and then bowed his head again. "I am sorry for your loss."

"That's…that's not possible," she protested. "She's not dead…she isn't!"

"Child…our scouts saw the devastation…the bodies left to rot by the demons as they…" Karnum said and then grew quiet. "I wish it were not true…but I am certain your mother is amongst the dead."

"You're wrong!" Illiana yelled and then looked at Dorak. "He's wrong! I know he is…my mother still lives! I can feel her in the Force…she is still alive!"

The tauren appeared to say something more, but Dorak turned to look at the elven padawan. "Are you certain of this? Are your feelings clear in this matter?" he asked her.

"Yes, master," she answered. Closing her eyes and steepling her hands in front of her chest, she turned until she was facing almost straight south. She opened her eyes and pointed. "I can sense her in that direction…and there is another with her. I could see them in the Force high in a tree…a kaldorei woman is with my mother."

"Grogg?" Dorak asked the orc turning to look in the direction Illiana pointed. "Can you also sense this?"

"Master Daneel has not had the opportunity to teach me how to use Force Sight yet," the orc answered.

"Perhaps not…but you are a natural healer and therefore highly attuned to life energies. You should be able to sense two beings in that direction if Illiana's feelings are clear on the matter."

"My feelings are _clear_, master," Illiana huffed crossing her arms over her chest. Karnum just stared trying to understand the exchange between the jedi master and the two padawans. His fellow druids had seen the bodies, followed the demon army for miles from high in the sky, and they were certain there were none left alive at the outpost, but these three newcomers were confident, in their strange way, the druids were wrong. More interesting to Karnum was that the dragons did not dispute the jedi…almost like they knew something about them he could not begin to comprehend. The dragons were watching the exchange amongst the jedi but for different reasons. They didn't understand all of the complexities of the Force and how the jedi used it, but they had seen Daneel perform amazing feats as well as his former padawan, Celeste. To them it was clear that the jedi knew a truth they had not. There were survivors.

Grogg mirrored his fellow padawan's previous actions as he stretched out through the Force. He focused on what he could sense in the south as Illiana had indicated. As his mind journeyed he could feel the fear in the forest creatures, and then he came upon a darkness so profound his body outwardly shivered. A thousand beings, twisted by hatred and fear, assaulted his senses. Even the Force seemed twisted…corrupted…near the darkness. Two of those presences in particular frightened him. They were in the midst of the throng of what he could only assume were the demons…their leaders. Dark waves of energies surrounded and penetrated them forming a fog he could not penetrate…a cloud obscuring his senses in the Force. Calming his breathing and subduing his fear, Grogg lifted above the darkness to sense what was beyond. For miles there was nothing…no life existed where the demon army had been. His heart sank in his chest, but he stretched out further to the south…miles and miles of vast nothingness in the Force…almost as if it had been stripped from the land…all life extinguished…until he found them. Two beings alive in the void in the Force, and he knew them. The two women were familiar to him, and his eyes opened wide at the realization of who they were. One was weak and in pain, the other watchful and full of fear and dread.

"Tell me, padawan, what did you sense?" Dorak asked calmly.

"Illiana is correct…I could feel them…Raeva and Adaria," he answered with a deep sigh. "But there is nothing else around them. All life is gone…a void in the Force between them and the demon army just miles to our south."

Not caring how these strangers could know what they said they sensed as truth, Karnum approached the jedi master. The veracity of their convictions was all he needed…it gave him hope. "Are there more? Are there others alive with them?" he pleaded.

"I am afraid not," Dorak answered. "I too sensed what they did through the Force, but I never met either woman so it was they who would know if the people we seek are alive. But Grogg is correct…there is no other life between the army and them. Forest creatures…vegetation…even insects…all life has been eradicated from the location of the women to the army that stirs just kilometers from here. A great void in the Force."

The dragons began pacing at the news understanding what the jedi meant while Karnum lowered his head in sadness. The demons had destroyed everything they came across and left no one and nothing alive. The mystery was how the two women had escaped the army and what to do now that it was heading this direction. Illiana kept staring south as Grogg watched the jedi master. For the next few moments the only sounds were of those from the druids working on the barricades for the Glade. Dorak circled in place as he re-examined the area. Finally he stopped and with a deep sigh faced the tauren.

"Are there any other locations you can flee to?" he asked.

"This is the largest in the area," Karnum answered solemnly. "Some of the other smaller outposts have already come here...hoping greater numbers might better our chances at survival."

Dorak took a few steps to the north and stopped. Karnum's eyes followed him. With another sigh Dorak turned and addressed the druid leader. "That fortress to the north…if they have not aligned with the army to the south they will soon enough. That leaves this place in a crossfire. It's a deathtrap." He stepped back towards the tauren and stopped before him. "Are there _any_ other outposts…fortresses…anywhere at all that you can flee to?"

"There are Alliance and Horde fortresses in the area, but we do not follow their political lines. Were we to flee to one or the other they would refuse us shelter if not attack us on sight because of the mix of our races. We are neutral to their conflict, but paranoia runs rampant in even civilized men during times of war." He looked over to see his druids working on barricades…a mixture of night elves and tauren working side by side. "I am afraid we have no allies in this region."

"This war…it's along racial lines…correct? If an individual fled to an outpost aligned with his or her race would they be welcomed?" Dorak asked Karnum. The tauren nodded his answer. "Then your people must split up to survive. I am not familiar with your race's alliances, but I would retreat to each side and alert them of the danger here."

"The kaldorei to the Alliance and we taurens to the Horde?" he asked the jedi. "Is that truly wise? Is that the only option you can think of?"

"It's the only option left…if you want to live. Stay here and the army will overrun you just as it did the outpost to the south. This place," he said with a wave of his arm, "it's too open and indefensible…and if what I sense is correct…the forces from the north will also come this way. They will come and you will have armies to fight from both sides…and they will crush you. Splitting up and fleeing to your respective race's sides is your only hope for survival."

Karnum lowered his head, and then looked up again when he felt the hand of Vethsera on his shoulder. "The jedi is right, Karnum," she said quietly. "And I think you should heed his advice."

Karnum nodded and then looked up at the trees around them…a single tear falling from his eye and running down his muzzle. "Years working to bring life back to this region…to see it flourish again as it had long ago…only to run away knowing it will become barren again...this is something I find hard to accept" he looked back at Dorak and Vethsera. "This is a most sad day. Many druids will want to stay behind and fight to protect this region. Were it not a dragon of the green flight…Ysera's flight…suggesting we flee, I would refuse to leave and choose to fight to my last breath to protect this place."

Dorak placed his hand on the other shoulder of Karnum which drew the tauren's gaze. "Trees can be replanted…vegetation resewn…life will return if people are here to do the work and make it happen…it will need _people_ to make that rebuilding take place…it will need you…but if you stay to fight and die then there will be no one left to rebuild. If we can prevail against this demon army…then when this conflict is resolved you can come back here and heal it once again. But you must remain alive…and that means fleeing to live and return another day."

With a quiet nod, Karnum left the jedi and dragons to gather his people. As he told them of the plans for retreat, protests could be heard from the druids. Some wanted to stay and fight for the land they had worked so hard to bring back to life regardless of the logic to flee, while others wanted to avenge their fallen brothers and sisters. Dorak was confident that when the dust settled Karnum would convince his people of what was needed for their survival. He looked at the three dragons and motioned them to a location further from the druid throng arguing near the barricades. Grogg had to pull Illiana with them as she stared south during the whole conversation between their master and the tauren. Once out of earshot of the argument behind them, Dorak addressed the three dragons.

"Vethsera…I want you and Tariolstrasz to aid these people in their retreat. So far the danger is mostly in the south…what danger I _can_ sense in the Force, but things could change quickly and I feel your presence with them will aid them greatly." Both nodded in their agreement.

"What would you like me to do?" Kuro asked him.

"Find Daneel and the others and hasten their journey here if possible," he said with a smile. "They should be sailing around the northwestern side of this continent if they stuck to the plan." She cocked her head to the side and looked at his waist. "I know…the holocomm would be faster. While you are flying to him, however, you can also recon the area and learn more than we can from the ground." He looked at the two padawans and then back at the dragons. "Also tell Daneel that the three of us have headed south to rescue the two women and will be out of contact for some time. When we have rescued them and found a safe place…then I will contact him via holocomm."

"That's absurd," Tariolstrasz began. "You're talking about walking right into…"

"The three of us can circumvent the demon army without being detected," Dorak said interrupting the red dragon. "Illiana's mother is in great pain…I can sense _that _much. The sooner we reach her, the better the chances are of her survival and the other woman's as well." He looked over at Grogg and then back at the dragons. "Once the druids have left we will head south and east to avoid the demon army."

"But should they discover you then you'll be cut-off…alone with no backup or allies," Kuro protested.

"And nowhere to retreat to," Vethsera added. "The Burning Legion is nothing to take lightly, Master Jedi, despite whatever your experiences are against armies you have faced in the past. They are dangerous and will stop at nothing to eliminate all life in their path. That is all they desire and will not quit until they succeed in that goal."

"The Force will guide us," Dorak answered. "It will be far easier for our smaller number to avoid detection by the demons than by a larger group. No arguments…this is the plan and what we will do."

* * *

Kitali and Zharn had met with the Earthen Ring and procured the help of thirty shamans to aid them in Desolace. Farseer Nobundo regretted he could not send more as a threat by the Burning Legion was not to be taken lightly; they still had much work to accomplish at the Rift and the Maelstrom and faltering in that could be as catastrophic as the return of the Legion. The two jedi understood knowing the ramifications of what they were asking, and getting thirty shamans to come with them was more than they had hoped. Before departing the Maelstrom, however, Zharn suggested that they should also seek the help of the dragon flights. Using their astral recall, the shamans arrived at Wyrmrest Temple and found Alexstrasza there who agreed to help. Now they all flew near the jedi temple atop red and green dragons, both the Life Binder and Ysera amongst them. As they approached the valley with the temple, Kitali surveyed the area, and what she saw disturbed her. Being that they were far enough apart that normal speaking was difficult, she used a form of hand signals they had developed during the war with the Scourge to perform a shorthand communication with her husband.

"Rest…gone…vehicles…here," she signaled to Zharn and then pointed below them.

"Saw," was his reply. "Plans…accelerated…must…head…south."

"Agreed," she answered with a nod. Mirroring her spouse, she leaned forward as far as she could to speak to Ysera while he spoke to Alexstrasza. "Ysera…things have changed…we need to turn south now."

"What's happened?" the great green dragon asked with a slight turn of her head.

"The rest have gone, but in a hurry," Kitali responded pointing at the ground. "The speeders and carts are still at the temple but they've left. Demira must've opened a portal and they accelerated the plan."

"What would cause them to do that," the dragon asked already suspecting the answer.

"Nothing good," Kitali replied. "We need to head south and straight for Desolace. No telling where they went, but the destination regardless has been Desolace and Karnum's Glade according to any incarnation of the plan. We should head there directly."

As the dragons veered southward, Kitali began to worry about what had happened. Normally she would use her holocomm and contact Demira, but with the state of her nerves she was afraid she would drop it. The dragons couldn't fly all of the way to Desolace in one shot regardless of their majesty and might…they were now mortal and at least one rest stop would be needed before they arrived at their destination. When they did stop, then Kitali would call her friend and perhaps find out what had happened. In the meantime she could only hold onto Ysera as the great dragon flew…and let her mind wander.

* * *

Olivaw leaned over a railing on the port side of the ship. Crewmembers moved around him as the vessel continued its trip south along the coast of Kalimdor. Some stopped to stare at the alien while others snickered to themselves as they passed. The great freighter pilot and smuggler back in the Republic…was seasick. His skin was a shade paler than normal allowing the darker lines of his facial tattoos to stand out. Starting at the base of his neck, four lines traversed closely to his chin where they split with the outer lines to run just past the corners of his mouth, and the inner two intersected his lips to just under the outside of each nostril of his nose. A light shade of gray coloring was more apparent now with his pale skin and filled the space between the outer and inner lines until they bent and crossed even with the base of his nose. The lines then formed a lopsided diamond along his cheek to the corners of his eyes with a paler gray filing the space. From the back of his head were two more lines that flowed along the sides of his head and around the horns to meet with the others, one near the center of each eyebrow…if he had any…and the bottom line met with the outer chin lines just below the bottom intersection of his cheek diamonds. These were a mark of his rite of passage into adulthood that was commonplace with all zabrak albeit with differing designs. If one asked Olivaw what his specifically symbolized he couldn't answer…the shape was not his choice…and he wouldn't answer especially now as he watched the waves roll alongside the hull of the ship. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes just before a hand touched his back. He didn't bother to look up to see who was touching him and gripped the railing harder and pursed his lips.

"Are you ok?" a female voice asked him. It was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before. Perhaps if his insides weren't rocking more than the ship he could concentrate and remember. "I'm not a lover of traveling by sea either, truth be told."

Olivaw looked up to see a beautiful kaldorei woman smiling down at him. Around her head was a glittering white band that helped to tie back her long blue-green hair. She was wearing an emerald green steel armored chestplate, covering only her chest, with large shoulder pouldrons. Below her bare midriff were knee high boots and bare thighs. Around her waist she wore steel armored shorts with long tassets over the front, back, and both sides offering more protection and apparently giving ease of movement. All of the armoring was adorned with gold etchings and raised glyphs of moonbeams and other symbols of the planet's lunar satellites. Across her back was one of the bows he had seen used by other kaldorei women when he first arrived on this world.

"Nice get-up," he said as he looked back down at the waters and then choked back on some vomit. Last thing he wanted to do was lose his breakfast in front of a pretty lady. "Too bad it doesn't offer much in protection," he continued while not looking up.

"This suit of armor is modeled after the same I wore against the Burning Legion over ten thousand years ago. It proved sufficient then," she countered.

Olivaw looked up to see her frowning at him. He knew her from some place. He shook the cobwebs from his mind and then looked at her again. She was someone important amongst her people…their leader maybe? If she was then he had just insulted her, and Kai'moira's ire would be huge if she found out he was telling a leading ally that she her armor was useless. He had to apologize…

"Look," he said with a point of his finger. "It's not that I don't think it looks good, but in my experience…I have to say you've been more lucky than protected in that get-up…um…sorry…but I seem to have forgotten your name." '_Some apology_, _dumbass_' he thought to himself. '_You_ _can't even remember her name_. _Lucky if she doesn't just throw you over the side…at least that would stop your stomach from roiling_.'

She placed her hands on her hips and looked down at him as if he were an impetuous child. "My name is Tyrande Whisperwind…"

"The leader and…high priestess of…something..." he interrupted before looking back over the side of the ship. This time he couldn't hold back and he vomited over the side into the waters below. After he finished he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up sheepishly at Tyrande. Her expression had softened a little, but not much. "Sorry," he choked. She said nothing as the hard expression returned. "Look…being in your position you should be more protected than the rest of us."

"I know how to handle myself in battle, Master Smuggler," she said with an iciness to her voice. "I will not be chided by you or…"

Olivaw pulled a blaster from his holster closest to the kaldorei and let it fall to the deck. He then pointed at the names etched on the holster's chevron. "See these? They are the names of my old squadmates. I was the junior member of the squad…they all had more years of experience fighting than I did. Yet they wouldn't listen when I told them our position wasn't secure enough…that our armor was too light for the mission we were on…and you wanna know what happened? They all died…all but me." He stood up to face Tyrande swaying a little from side to side. Her arms dropped to her sides as her expression again softened a little. "I may not be ten thousand years old…hell…I'm just a child next you…but I know battle and how to stay alive…and you…you need more protection than that," he said pointing at her armor.

"Ok…I'll humor you," she said. "What _exactly_ is wrong with my armor?"

"It's made out of steel!" he answered. "Totally wrong material. It may work against slug projectiles, but energy weapons…or those magic attacks that I've seen Daneel's wife use…it's useless against those. You need a better set of armor that will dissipate energy weapons…attacks…I mean, banthashit…lighting will cook you to death in that metal garbage." Her expression changed to one of bewilderment. She looked down at herself as she had thought he was objecting to her armor because of how it looked…something some of the other races would have done, but he was talking about what it was made from…not how it looked. "Listen here," he continued drawing her attention back to him. "I have a spare set down below that I think will fit you. You two, I think, have about the same shoulder width and waist size…being that you are a lot taller than her shouldn't be that big a difference…I don't think. If you want I'll loan it to you and after this war is over I'll make you a personalized set. It may not be as regal in appearance as what you have on, but it will protect you a hell of a lot better than that metal junk."

"Being that _she_ is shorter would also mean I would have as much of my skin exposed as I have now…yes? That doesn't bother you at all?"

Olivaw looked at her with his brow furrowed. "No…if it's a style you are used to and provides freedom of movement…why would I? Your heart and lungs are protected which are the vital organs most combatants aim for…I've seen sith and jedi fight with less than that…not to mention a _lot_ of successful mercs. No…it's the metal that concerns me. I wouldn't wear armor made of the stuff if you paid me all the credits in the Cartel's coffers."

She smiled and nodded for him to bring his armor to her. As he shakily walked belowdecks she grinned. Most races could not understand that night elven armor was as much about style as it was function and had been for thousands of years. While the druids preferred much simpler attire, like her husband Malfurion, not all kaldorei were the same and older, less vibrant styles from the time of Azshara's reign were still worn though not as prevalent. She thought his objection to her armor was the same she had heard before, but these people from another galaxy kept surprising her. First there was Daneel and now this man. She smiled as he returned with a set of dark purple and black armoring. He handed it to her and then turned around.

"It's nothing I made or it would be a lot different. I think it was found by Illiana…or made by her at one time…but I think it should fit you," he said. She removed her armor and placed his on which surprisingly fit very well. She tapped him on the shoulder, and as he turned around he smiled…then pursed his lips a little and swallowed hard…and then tried to smile again. His voice was also a little shaky when he spoke next. "I think it's an old sith design in appearance, but the whole thing is made of a cortosis weave which is resistant to lightsabers and most other forms of energy. It also has some parts that are durasteel…not the same kind of steel as yours, mind you, but the kind used to make starships…which will repel slugs and other projectiles, and it also has a good bit of that Titansteel intermixed with the cortosis. I fired a few shots into it from my blasters and…wait a minute," he said as he reached down and felt the empty holster.

He looked to where he had been standing and the pistol was perched very close to the edge of the deck. One rock of the ship and it could go overboard. "Blast!" he exclaimed as he ran over to pick it up. He caught the weapon just in time before it would have fallen into the sea. Holstering it, he looked back at Tyrande. The armoring fit her perfectly and actually didn't look much different than her own set. Where hers had been finely detailed with adornments and trimming, this one was more plain and smooth. She looked at it and then at him smiling.

"Hey…that looks really good on you," he said with a smile…and then his eyes widened. He ran back to the railing and leaned over the side of the ship to vomit again. She walked back over to place her hand on his shoulder. He looked up without wiping his mouth. "I hate these ships…I really, really, hate them."

* * *

Dorak, Grogg, and Illiana moved through the trees near the edge of the devastation left in the wake of the Burning Legion's army. For the first few hours there had been no indication the demons had even entered the area. That changed when they rounded a small mountain range and walked into a grassy plain with a couple of groves, and in the middle was a swath of barren soil where the opposing army had marched. To the jedi master it was akin to a large herd of wild range animals trampling everything in their path. But the devastation was more widespread than that. The grasses were turning from greens to browns and the trees of the groves were barren of leaves. The plant life existed, but it was dying, and nowhere were there animals. Even the buzzing of insects was absent giving the area an eerie silence except for the crunch of their footsteps on the dry dirt beneath their feet. The Burning Legion left death in their wake.

On the other side of the small plains they found another timber devoid of life. The trees were bare even of their bark. Dorak led them through the lifeless zone with as much stealth as possible, but as they neared the end of that area they were ambushed by six felhounds. The demons emerged from an area where life still clung to existence and were just as surprised as the jedi. Without hesitation, Dorak and Illiana both withdrew their lightsabers and ignited the blades. Pulling his back near his head, the jedi master threw both of his weapons at two felhounds in front of him about twenty yards away. The lightsabers tumbled end over end and each one struck their targets, but instead of stopping they sliced through the demons and arced to each side to cut the tentacles of the remaining four before returning to the outstretched hands of the weaponmaster. The barren woodland filled with the painful roars of the demons, and Illiana, red blades of her reconstructed saberstaff in hand, leapt at the two demons on the left. As she landed between them she spun on her heel creating a whirlwind of blades that chewed into the sides of the felhounds eviscerating them. Within seconds both were lying in pools of ichor as their innards spilled onto the ground next to their bodies. The one inner right felhound next to the two Dorak killed initially attacked the master without fear just as the twin blades returned to the weaponmaster's hands. Jumping over the demon as it charged, Dorak struck out with both blades catching it in the back. The blades entered the soft tissue of the beast but didn't hinder its progress in its attack, and when it came to a stop it fell over dead…the back half of its body split into thirds where the lightsabers had easily sliced through.

While the other two jedi dispatched the other three felhounds, Grogg stood to the right facing the remaining felhound with his blue bladed lightsaber…the gift from Celeste…held in his right hand. The demon stalked him like a wolf with its prey, and the padawan stared at it unsure what to do. He had never fought demons…never killed anything before…but now as the felhound turned he knew he faced life or death, and if he did not strike down this monstrosity it would kill him. He pulled the lightsaber before him in both hands assuming a Soresu stance…a defensive form. His focus centered on the felhound blocking all else from his attention. He could feel it in the Force…twisted and corrupted…yet still a living creature. Its claws dug into the dirt indicating to the orc it was about to either charge or leap at him. His heart lurched…which was it? If he moved in anticipation of a charge and it leapt it would get him from above, but if he moved to counter a leap it could charge under his defenses. He wasn't sure, and in that moment of hesitation a red flash entered his vision. He blinked slowly, and when his eyes opened the felhound before him was lying dead on the ground…its head several feet away. There was no blood because the blades of the saberstaff had cauterized the wound as it moved through the demon's neck.

"Grogg…what were you waiting for?" he heard Illiana say to his left. He took a deep breath while he stared at the fallen demon. His gaze then turned to scan the area before them, and he saw the five bodies of the other demons around them. He swallowed hard. "Grogg? Are you awake?" As he extinguished the blade of his lightsaber, he nodded his response. 'Well…then what happened?" He looked over to see her wearing an expression mixed of confusion and concern while holding the hilt of her saberstaff in her left hand. "It could have killed you."

He watched quietly as Dorak walked to stand next to the elf. His expression was more one of understanding. "You've never been in battle before…have you? Never had to kill to survive."

"I've been in battle," he answered softly. "But no…I've never killed anything or anyone."

"You must be the only orc on Azeroth who hasn't," Illiana huffed as her concern turned to anger. "It's a demon, Grogg, and you kill them…or they will definitely kill you. It's that simple."

"It's not that simple," he countered as he placed his lightsaber on his belt. "It breathes…it feeds…it's aware of its own existence…which means it's also a living being."

"Not every living thing deserves to live, Grogg!" she responded crossing her arms over her chest.

"Maybe not, but it's not why I hesitated," he replied. "I couldn't know which way it was going to attack, so I…panicked."

"I feel that your awareness of its living presence was also a factor in why you hesitated…concentrating more on its existence than on the conflict at hand," Dorak said finally adding his wisdom to the conversation. He looked at Illiana with a stern expression which caused her to uncross her arms and her demeanor to soften. "There is nothing shameful or wrong in regarding all life sacrosanct…it is one of the tenets of the belief in the Living Force. That Grogg doesn't desire to kill shows his connection to the will of the Living Force…and we should not admonish him for it. Daneel…one you greatly respect…lives by those very tenets." He then turned to Grogg. "But you also know that he will not hesitate to kill if necessary. He takes no pleasure in killing knowing that he is destroying that which is alive and part of the Living Force…but to save others or himself he will take a life. Remember…there is no death, there is the Force. That applies to all living things from the tiniest microbial lifeform to the most advanced species in the universe.

"Yes, Master," the both answered at once. Then Illiana crossed over to place her hand on Grogg's shoulder. "I am sorry, Grogg. I just don't want to see you get hurt. Especially now after what has happened between you and my master." She smiled at him. "She would not forgive me if any harm befell you." He nodded his thanks, but she looked at Dorak. "There is another problem. These demons are usually controlled by a master that sees what they see…even if the master is not nearby."

"Which means that it could be anywhere and by now knows that we killed its pets," Dorak responded. He looked up at the sky and sighed deeply. "Wonderful. It'll report back to the others if it hasn't already…and they'll know we are here. So much for my idea of avoiding detection."


	10. Shatterpoint

**_Part Ten: Shatterpoint_**

A thick cloud obscured the small valley just a few miles south of Karnum's Glade. Demons and felhounds hacked and wheezed from the dust and debris caused when Atazay, in a fit of rage, unleashed a barrage of green lighting from his fingertips into the small dam that hindered their progress towards the druid outpost. Every time the army tried to circumvent the obstacle it seemed to counter them. All attempts to break the dam and diminish the water capacity met with failure. A section of the damn was destroyed only to have more rocks mysteriously appear to keep the blockage intact. Even splitting the army and trying to traverse the dam in two or more different directions at once had met with failure. Those demons capable of flight became disoriented or met with an impassable barrier of wind. Apparent to both a frustrated Atazay and a cautious Dzovitza, strong magic was set to work against them. While the male eredar trapped in a sith body assaulted the obstacle over and again adding to his frustration, the woman stood a short distance away in quiet contemplation. Their dichotomy added tension to the already restless demonic army ready to kill whatever their masters unleashed them upon. What none of them were aware of was the Archdruid countering their every move from the Emerald Dream. Malfurion knew he could not singlehandedly defeat this army, but he could keep it occupied. The longer he could delay them the better the odds the druids in Karnum's Glade could prepare for when the army did advance and have a fighting chance for survival until the jedi and his allies arrived.

Atazay poised to unleash another barrage of lighting upon the dam when the hound master, an ered'ruin, approached Dzovitza. The larger demon bowed to the smaller leader before speaking. "I bring news from the south," he said to the woman.

Atazay lowered his arms upon hearing the messenger and walked to stand next to his co-leader of this army. "Has Okus repaired the portal?" he asked.

"Unknown," the hound master answered.

"Then what is your news from the south? It can't be of much significance if it does not regard Okus' success or failure with the portal," Dzovitza said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "There is nothing left living between us and Mannoroc Coven and therefore nothing of great concern."

"Someone yet lives. Six of my hounds have fallen to adversaries…bearing weapons like those," he said pointing to the lightsabers at the leaders' waists. Atazay squinted at the hound master while Dzovitza turned to look southward. "They were killed quickly and decisively by a human, an elf, and an orc."

"Are you certain they used weapons like these?" Atazay asked.

"You and Okus are both fools," Dzovitza said before the hound master could answer. "Since you found that woman wielding one of these I have been concerned there were others like her that could pose a threat to us. Now we have proof and they are not as weak as you suspected." She looked over to the hound master. "Muster the army and prepare them to move. We'll hunt down these three to our south and eliminate them before they can warn any others _like_ them."

The large demon bowed his head again and spun on his heel to follow her command. Atazay stood close to Dzovitza and spoke to her once the hound master was out of earshot. "The whole army to pursue a human, an elf, and an orc?"

She looked up to him with a hard expression. "A human, an elf, and an orc that slew six felhounds with weapons like this," she said as she ignited her own lightsaber. The vibrant orange blade hummed next to the other's head. "Unlike you and Okus, I will not take the chance they escape nor will I assume to underestimate them. The _entire_ army will hunt these three down."

"And if you are wrong and they prove weak as I and Okus suspect?"

"We gain nothing, that is true," she countered as she extinguished the blade. "A few eredar could be sent and might be enough if you are correct, but we could lose everything if we are not certain of success…and that will require the _whole_ army. I will not stand before Sargeras and tell him we have failed because we underestimated our opposition."

Atazay looked down at her for a moment and then back at the dam that had been the source of his frustration for the past day. "Fine…at least this diversion will get us away from here…and that," he agreed while pointing at the dam.

* * *

After defeating the felhounds, the three jedi quickened their pace southward, but not with a direct course. Should the demon army pursue them, Dorak did not want to lead them to the two women they were searching for. He could sense them alive through the Force, and the fact that they had survived the first encounter with the demons was not lost to him…he did not want to place the women back into danger. So they traveled as stealthily as possible and zigzagging their course southward. Not that it would have made much difference because that one small patch of living terrain was all they had seen for miles. The land was brown and barren with husks of dead trees dotting the landscape providing very little for cover should they come across more demons. Stars could not be seen in the darkened sky, and frequent lightning provided the only source of illumination. It reminded the jedi master of places he had been to corrupted with the dark side of the Force like the Nightmare Lands on the planet Voss, but this was more…much more because at least on Voss things still lived…this place was dead.

Earlier when they searched this direction while at Karnum's Glade, the area felt devoid of the Force. Now as they physically traversed the region he could still sense it, but in a much more diminished capacity and twisted. If he would give it a name he would almost call it an anti-Force. Not a void like that which existed on the planet Nathema where one felt being ripped apart to fill it, or a wound like over Malachor V where one felt a hollowness or an echo of what had once happened…no…here Dorak felt like the Force wanted to bend and twist him…to contort him into something unnatural. And the feeling was worse for Grogg. Since becoming a padawan and his connection to the Force awakened, the orc's strongest ability was to sense and detect life itself which made him a natural healer. In this place where it was twisted and corrupted, that connection was strained and the orc was physically affected because of the corruption brought upon the Living Force by the demons. It was sick and thusly so was Grogg. Illiana spent her time helping the ailing orc as they continued their journey. Unlike the other two, she had been a practitioner of the dark side for years before Daneel freed her from the control of N'Zoth's avatar. Since that time she focused on the light, but she would always know the dark side and struggle constantly to walk the fine line between the two much like one of Daneel's mentors…Revan. To the elf this place was discomforting, but she erected barriers to help her ignore the wrongness of what the other two felt…barriers she had learned to use to protect herself from Drakus.

Grogg was the first to sense the army's approach. The three jedi were in the middle of a valley between two large hills when the orc suddenly doubled over in pain. Illiana ran over to assist him, but it was Dorak who next felt what the orc had. The army was advancing on them quickly, and they were in the middle of open terrain with at least a quarter mile from the base of each hill. The weaponmaster looked behind them to where the demons were approaching, and at that moment time stood still. Through the Force he could see the army. Hundreds of hounds like they had met back in the woods…large red beings similar in appearance to Kitali yet oddly different as some had large reptilian wings and others did not…creatures made of stone that rolled on the ground and at times would unfold into a behemoth of destruction on two legs…and two smaller beings wearing black robes and closer to his size…the leaders. Dorak sensed there was another of these last that was not present with the army, and then time moved forward. He was standing in a valley before a giant circular structure surrounded by the other jedi aligned with those of Kitali's race and the night elves. They stood ready for battle and ahead of them was an army of hundreds of thousands of demons pouring through the structure. Leading them were the three in black robes. The triumvirate guided the demonic horde in battle after battle until finally the jedi and their allies were overrun. Then Dorak saw the world as if flying high above the ground. Everything was burning, the oceans boiled, and the only living things were the demons. Now he was back at the structure where he saw the three robed figures standing before it with their arms raised with bolts of green lighting cast from their fingers gathering at the center to create a maelstrom of energies and from within the void of its center a being of unfathomable darkness and power emerged…everywhere he stepped life expired.

Suddenly he was back in the valley with Illiana and Grogg facing the demon army at their rear. Again he was propelled to seeing the two robed figures leading the demons, and then the Force removed them from his vision…the demons scattered…and then he was back at the valley with the large structure…only one robed being remained with raised arms pouring bolts of green lighting into the center, but nothing happened. The maelstrom of energies that were there before were but a fraction of what had been with the three, and the army of demons the jedi faced numbered only a few thousand and not the hundreds of thousands as before. Dorak could still feel the being of tremendous power, but now held behind the gateway unable to enter this world…and then the weaponmaster knew what he must do. The shatterpoint was now!

Dorak, back in the present with time flowing normally, looked over to the elf helping the troubled orc. He walked over to them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "You two must flee now to the other side of one of these hills," he said calmly. "The army is nearly upon us, and there are too many for the three of us to face."

The two padawans looked at each other and then back to the master. "You will be right behind us…yes?" Illiana asked.

Dorak shook his head as he looked at each in the eyes. "I will remain and hold the army in check long enough for you both to escape," he said solemnly. "I must try to reach and eliminate the two leaders at the head of this army. It is the only chance to defeat the demons."

"That's impossible," Grogg said shaking his head. "You can't do that alone. We will stay with you…"

"You must leave," the weaponmaster said interrupting the padawan. "Continue southward and find Illiana's mother and the other. There is still a chance to save them both, but you must leave _now_." He looked now specifically at the orc. "Trust in the Force, Grogg, and let it guide you. You have the ability to save her mother…only you can do that now." He looked at the elf. "Trust your feelings, but beware the darker emotions of anger and fear. You have known the dark side and now walk the fine line between the light and the dark…the gray walked by others who have been redeemed as you have. Always will it be a struggle, but you have within you the ability to do great things if you can keep your emotions in control." Dorak turned and walked a few paces away in the direction of the oncoming army. The dust cloud from their advance could now be seen when the lightning flashes lit the sky.

Illiana started to obey the master without voicing her objections. After all, who was she, a mere padawan…an apprentice, to question a master of the order? But Grogg hesitated. "You can't ask us to leave you here to die!" he yelled at Dorak.

The jedi master turned his head to look back at the orc. With a smile he said, "Grogg…there is no death…there is only the Force. Now go!"

* * *

When the demons suddenly turned and began marching south, Malfurion was not only confused but concerned. In his spirit form from the Emerald Dream, he followed the army and stayed as close to the two robed leaders as possible. Not much was said as they marched southward, but he could sense much anger from these two strange demons. Several hours passed as the army moved at a pace that even the orcs would be hard pressed to match. It was when they came to a valley between two large hills that things became clearer to the Archdruid. In the middle was a single human wearing white robes kneeling on the ground, hands steepled at his chest, and his head lowered like he was praying. Instead of attacking the single human, the demons surrounded him filling the entire valley. The two robed figures moved forward to stand before the kneeling man, and as Malfurion got closer he noticed a faint glow surrounding him. Not once did the man look up to his adversaries approaching nor did he move to stand or defend himself. The Archdruid knew this man was one of the jedi by the metal cylinder at his waist. The man and woman leading the demons each removed similar weapons from their waists and ignited the orange blades. Malfurion tensed expecting some sort of reaction, but still the man did not move.

"Strange to see a determination to meet your fate, human," the woman said to the kneeling man. "I admire such resignation and acceptance of the inevitable."

"Where are the others?" the robed man asked. Still there was no response from the jedi. The demon took a step closer to him. "I asked you a question…where are your two companions?"

Malfurion watched as the glowing increased around the human, but still he did not respond to them. What was the jedi waiting for? Was he praying to his force to protect him? The Archdruid looked at the thousand demons surrounding the man. No matter how powerful this force was…he could not defeat them all and live.

"Atazay…perhaps he is too preoccupied with praying to his god," the woman said with a chuckle. "Hoping that whatever it is will come and strike us down to spare his life."

The large robed man took another step…one more and he would be standing on the human…and looking down he yelled. "Is that what you do? Is Dzovitza right…that you are praying to your god? It will do you no good." Malfurion could feel the man bristling with anger when the human still did not respond to his outburst. "Speak…damn you!"

Then the human did move, but only his head. As he raised it to look not at the demon, but at something beyond, Malfurion saw a man with an expression of pure serenity. This human, in the face of certain death, was the most calm and peaceful of any being Malfurion had ever witnessed in all the thousands of years of his life. His heart sank in his chest…perhaps it was wrong of his people to put their hopes in these jedi if this one was prepared to die without a fight. The one named Daneel had helped them immensely almost a year ago, but in the face of the Burning Legion…and this small army of its demons…perhaps the jedi were not the ones to help them end the threat. He sighed and turned to leave, but the human spoke…

"Zufa, my love, I will join you soon," the human said quietly.

"Your love? What is this nonsen…" the large robed figure began to say turning his head to look at the woman he called Dzovitza, but at that moment the human threw back his head and his arms to his sides, and from all over his body a blinding flash filled the valley. Malfurion was blinded almost instantly even in his spiritual form, and then a second later a concussive wave threw him from his feet.

* * *

Daneel stood next to the railing at the bow of the ship. The winds were bracing, but still comfortable as they blew against his face. Then he felt it…a great disturbance in the Force…and he staggered as he reached out to grab the railing to steady himself…breathless. After a few seconds he recovered and turned to head belowdecks when Kai'moira emerged onto the upper deck. She was wearing the same worried expression he must have been because they both had felt it…Dorak was gone.

* * *

Flying over Ashenvale, the dragons were a sight to behold to those on the ground who happened to look up and see them high in the sky. Very rarely did the average person see a dragon, and to see thirty-two flying together was a sight many had never seen nor hoped to ever see again. Near the front of that group was Alexstrasza, the Life Binder, and riding atop her was Zharn, the orc shaman. After the change of plans, the dragons were making good time in their flight to Desolace. Suddenly she faltered almost throwing Zharn from her back. Alexstrasza recovered quickly, but Zharn was instantly concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as he reseated himself.

"I…I am fine," she answered while nodding to her sister who had also noticed the great dragon's brief bobble. "I'll be ok."

"What happened? Sudden wind gust?" the orc asked now very concerned. Dragons were most comfortable in flight as Kuro often stated, and Alexstrasza was the greatest of all the dragons.

"I…I felt something…something through Daneel's Force," she answered. "I think one of the jedi…" her voice trailed off.

"One of the jedi…go on."

"I think one has passed from this world."

"Passed…as in…dead?" the orc asked. The Life Binder only nodded. "Can you tell who it was? How many?"

"I felt only one expire," she answered. "But I do not know which." She looked back at the shaman. "I…I am sorry."

Zharn closed his eyes and lowered his head. One of the jedi had fallen, but which one? Daneel? Dorak? Kai'moira? Or one of the younger ones from this world? And how had that jedi died? Was it a natural cause or at the hands of the demons? His heart sank in his chest, and after a moment he looked over to see Kitali riding atop Ysera looking back at him. With a heavy sigh he signaled to her what Alexstrasza had told him. She lowered her head and buried her face in her hands. Like him the same questions and confusion raced in her mind…one of their friends was gone.

* * *

In Mannoroc Coven, Okus scrutinized every detail of the process to rebuild the portal. The previous mistake would not…could not…be repeated. Satyrs and fel orcs worked feverishly, and without breaks, to complete the necessary repairs. Sargeras was not a patient master when his goals were in sight, and he had seen that the triumvirate was ready to lay siege to this world once and for all. Okus smiled to himself knowing that in their victory he could conceivably replace Kil'jaeden at the right hand of his master. At the very least he would rise to the status Archimonde held before he foolishly allowed himself to get killed by these mortals. As he looked up to the top of the portal and then back down at the now more secure base, he was pleased. Soon the others would return with reports of success against the nearby druids, and then they would be ready to welcome their lord and his army into this world. He took a few steps towards a troubling corner of the base when a sudden wave of nausea befell him. He staggered and then fell to a knee. He felt it…he felt them expire…all of them…Atazay…Dzovitza…the entire army…one second there and then the next gone! How could this be? Okus looked up at the portal and his heart sank…it took all three of them to open it the last time…how would he open it now that the others were no more? Sargeras was impatiently waiting on the other side.

* * *

Malfurion was back on his feet after a few moments. Even in the Emerald Dream he felt the explosion caused by the kneeling human. Fortunately the blindness of the jedi's attack was only temporary, but as he looked over the valley he wished suddenly that he could not see…nothing was left but piles of ash that blew in the winds. The jedi…the two robed leaders of the demon army…all of the demons…nothing of them was left, and as the winds blew even their ashes would not remain to ever suggest what had happened here. The Archdruid realized that the calm and serene man was building all of his power up to that last second before unleashing it…and annihilating the Legion's small army at the cost of his own life. His earlier doubts about the jedi were now gone and replaced by a new concern…was this the cost to defeat the Burning Legion and Sargeras? If so…was the price too high?

* * *

Grogg and Illiana had just began their descent of the other side of the hill to the south when the concussion wave from Dorak's attack on the demons struck the padawans from behind knocking them both to the ground. They lay unconscious for several minutes before Grogg started to stir. His large hand clawed at the dirt as he struggled to raise his head. The whole region had been dark and desolate with frequent flashes of lightning, but as he slowly opened his eyes he saw sunlight shining on his hand. He started to move his head to look over at Illiana, but a sharp pain in his neck stopped him. Closing his eyes he reached within through the Force and found the muscle strain in his neck. Focusing on the damaged cells, he healed his injury before opening his eyes once again. Though his neck wound was healed, it was still very sore as he looked over to where he suspected Illiana had fallen. Like him, she had been thrown to the ground, and he could see a gash on the elf's forehead. He slowly brought up his other arm to raise his sore and beleaguered body. Every muscle in his body ached, but seeing the gash concerned the padawan, and with more effort he got up to his knees. Illiana was only a few feet away from him, and he crawled to sit next to her. Her breathing was shallow, and he reached out with both hands over her head. Closing his eyes, calming his breathing, and reaching out through the Force, Grogg spent the next several minutes healing the damaged cells of the wound on her forehead, and then he stretched out further to normalize her other body functions. Outwardly one could see a golden glow coming from his hands to encompass the elf's body while he used the Force to heal his fellow padawan. When he finished, the orc lowered his hand and slumped as he waited for Illiana to wake.

"H-h-how long…was I…"she started as her eyes slowly opened.

"Several minutes," Grogg answered quietly. "I think we were both unconscious for several minutes more before I woke up." She raised her left hand to her forehead where the cut had been and grimaced. "I think you hit your head on a rock when you fell. I healed it, but I'm sorry about the headache…I can't cure that yet."

"Thank you," she said. Lowering her hand, she pushed on the ground to roll onto her side. She looked up and tried to focus her eyes. "Sunlight?" Grogg nodded to her. She looked around to see it all around them, but only on the hill where they were as towards the bottom the darkness was prevalent and lighting strikes were still frequent in the distance. She swallowed hard before speaking again. "Master Dorak?" she asked.

"I haven't looked," the orc answered. "I woke up, saw your forehead, and that's as far as I've gotten."

"I know he told us to leave," she said as she tried to sit and then to stand. Once on her feet she looked down at Grogg. "We should head back anyway and see if we can help him. Whatever hit us had to have hit him as well…maybe worse."

Grogg nodded and painstakingly got to his feet. Aches and pains wracked his muscles and joints. Looking up towards the top of the hill, they discovered the blast that struck them had thrown them to near the middle of the hill. They looked at each other and with deep sighs arduously climbed to the top. What concerned Grogg as they made their ascent was the unexpected silence. The only sounds were the wind howling and the occasional crack of lighting followed by thunder. He expected to hear at least the roars and shouting of the demons and hoped to hear the thrumming of Dorak's lightsaber…at least that would tell him the jedi was still alive…but he could not hear either and when he looked at Illiana she responded with a shrug of her shoulders. She was plagued by the same concerns as he. The sight they did find when they reached the top was worse than either could have imagined. Each had their lightsaber in hand when they approached the summit expecting to see hundreds of demons, but instead what they gazed upon was an empty valley with a single swirling cloud of ash. Eyes wide in shock and mouths open, the two padawans stared in silence as the sunlight that shone in the valley dissipated into darkness, but in that short span of time they could see everything…which was nothing…no demons…no Dorak…only the single swirling cloud of ash.

"W-wh-what happened?" Grogg asked quietly. "Where's the army? Master Dorak?" He looked over to Illiana, but she didn't answer as she continued to stare at the dark valley. "Illiana? What happened?" He reached over to touch her shoulder, and she jumped to the side and stared at him with wide eyes. "Illiana…what's wrong?"

The elf looked down at the ground and then back into the valley. The urgency from Dorak that the padawans leave him to face a thousand demons alone…the concussive wave that struck them from behind….the eerie silence as they climbed to the top of the hill…and finally the scene below in the valley…she knew what had happened. Drakus had told her of such things, but never did she believe what the old sith had said. How wrong she was to ignore the old stories as she looked at proof of what her old master claimed was possible…Force Explosions. The weaponmaster had built up all the Force energy he could and once amassed and in the vicinity of the demon army he unleashed it...vaporizing everything in the valley including himself. The significance of his sacrifice struck Illiana to her core and she fell to her knees. Tears welled in her eyes. For the second time a jedi had placed his life on the line willing to die if necessary to save her…the first when Daneel shielded her mind from the dominance of N'Zoth and eventually slipped into a coma while in a battle of wills with the Old God's avatar…and now Dorak.

"Illiana?"

In a daze she looked over to Grogg who was now kneeling beside her with his hand on her shoulder. What was that on his face? Worry? Confusion? He was still relatively new to the ways of the jedi and of the Force. Would he understand what Dorak had done? She closed her eyes forcing the tears to run down her cheeks. Turning her head and opening her eyes, Illiana gazed back at the valley below.

"He did it," she whispered. "I never imagined…this…but he actually did it."

"What? What did he do?" Grogg asked. She looked back to his face…eyes searching hers…questioning. "Where's Master Dorak?"

"He's…he's…gone, Grogg," she answered quietly. "They're all gone."

The orc released her shoulder and sat back on his heels in shock. "What do you mean he's gone? Gone how?"

Illiana swallowed before she spoke. "He…he sacrificed himself…"

"No," Grogg said shaking his head. "No…he didn't…" But she looked at him with sad eyes and tears running down her cheeks. "NO!" he yelled and then leapt to his feet and sprinted down the hill to the valley.

Illiana tried to reach out to him, but he was faster and she missed his arm by inches. "Grogg…wait!"

The orc didn't respond and soon she lost him in the darkness. Ignoring her pain and soreness in her joints and muscles, she slowly stood and followed her fellow padawan to the valley. The entire ground was covered in an inch thick layer of ash…all that remained of Dorak and the demon army. Each step was a burden as she neared the approximate place where they had left the jedi master earlier, and it was in that spot she found Grogg on his knees and clawing at the ashes. As she slowly walked closer to the orc she could hear his sobbing, and again tears began falling down her own cheeks. Illiana moved over to him and kneeled in the ashes facing him. She reached out to his shoulder and hesitated before touching him. The orc looked up to her with tear-filled eyes and holding two handfuls of ash.

"Why?" he asked through his sobs. "He was a master….we are mere padawans…he was more important than us…so why?"

"Because…he felt otherwise," she answered with the only one she had. Grogg said nothing. He dropped the ashes and reached over to grab the plasteel pouldrons of her armor and buried his face in her shoulder as sobs continued to wrack his body. She embraced his head and looked up at the dark sky as she cried with him.


	11. Explosion of Anger

**_Part Eleven: Explosion of Anger_**

Okus paced back and forth while twelve satyrs worked to open the portal in the old method of using arcane magics and spells. The one beauty of these sith bodies had been they were capable of using energy the sith called the Force and fel energies they had used while in their eredar forms. The combination of these energies produced a portal that not only was more stable but almost self-sustaining in that once opened it did not require further mages' attentions or enchantments to keep it that way. Something in how this Force was connected to living things…they powered it and as such the source was overly abundant on this world…it would hold the portal open for as long as there was life in any form. However, the ritual to open the portal the first time and necessary energies to sustain it required all three of them; Okus, Dzovitza, and Atazay. Now the other two were gone, blasted somehow from this realm by a method Okus was unclear about or who on this world could possibly succeed in any such attempt. Alone he could not harness the power necessary to open the portal wide enough for larger beings to pass through but only for communication with their master. Another drawback of this sith body was that he could not use arcane magics. Fel and arcane energies were just dissimilar enough that he could use the more demonic one with this Force, but for some reason he could not explain; arcane energies were prohibited to him. It was almost as if the Force and the arcane repelled each other making them mutually exclusive. He could use one but not the other.

The lone survivor of the triumvirate kept vigil to the north. What happened to the other two and their army? What disaster placed him in this predicament where only he remained to face the wrath of Sargeras? Okus considered hiding the truth from his lord and master, but he recalled that others tried that tactic in the past with failure. Sargeras could always tell truth from lie, how could he presume to succeed where others had failed? Worst of all…if the Azerothians discovered their weakened state with the army now obliterated, the Burning Legion could fall before they began this inception of conquering this world. Okus was backed into a corner with Sargeras, eager to begin his conquest, and the natives fixed on the eradication of him and his followers. For the first time, he was afraid.

* * *

Celeste lay in her hammock wearing only her undergarments, knees pulled up to chest and hugging them with her arms, and tears running down her cheeks. Her armor was set to the side on a rack as was a pack with her gear including her saberstaff. Sitting on a stool beside her was Demira. She ran her fingers through the golden locks of the jedi as she struggled with her broken heart. Like Daneel and Kai'moira, the jedi knight had felt the passing of Dorak through the Force, and the loss of the weaponmaster struck her deeply. In the short time the human had been on Azeroth he had taught her so much about the various forms of lightsaber combat as well as new techniques for controlling her emotions during a confrontation. Dorak had also sensed her feelings for Grogg, and it was that last night before he departed with Grogg and Illiana that she heeded his advice and followed her heart. Their departure was bittersweet. She kissed the orc before he left not knowing at first if he felt anything romantic towards her, and then after she realized that he did they had to part so quickly. That kiss had strengthened the Force bond between them, and it was through that bond that her heart was broken because Grogg's was as well. His pain was her pain, and while part of her was happy he was still alive another part was in agony as the orc dealt with the loss of a mentor.

"It gets better over time," the elven mage said as she stopped combing Celeste's hair with her fingers long enough to wipe a fresh tear from the small human's cheek. "But it never goes away…that you feel what he feels. At first the connection is overwhelming, but as time progresses you learn to compartmentalize his feelings apart from your own."

"It gets easier?" Celeste asked as she looked up at the mage with her pale blue eyes…the whites reddened from crying.

Demira smiled warmly at the jedi. "I would say _easier_ is the wrong word. You learn to _cope_ better with how the other feels." She looked up to the ceiling and then back at Celeste. "You may not realize it, but Daneel is in great pain even now but doesn't show it outwardly. The loss of Zufa and now Dorak…his heart is broken. And with that is an anger he struggles to hold at bay." She looked up to stare at the wall of the cabin. "At first when I was opened to sensing the Force and I felt what he did was during sex. The emotional connection was so strong…" She looked back at Celeste and smiled again. "For the first few years those emotions I felt from him were intense and really, really good. But when he thought I was infected with the rakghoul plague…that was the first time I felt his anger and hatred... it scared me more than anything I had ever…I thought I was losing him."

"I…I never knew that part," Celeste said while wiping her cheek. "He told me about how he almost fell to the dark side…that he wanted to destroy some sith under Stormwind and would have destroyed the entire city to do it, but I didn't know you could feel what he felt during that time."

"It's a two-way street with those," Demira chuckled. "When I thought he was going to sacrifice himself to destroy that ship in orbit, I was despondent…and he felt it all the way up there," she said pointing upwards. "How I felt made him change his plan and try to survive instead of sacrificing himself to save all of us…which I almost ruined when I showed up with Kitali, Zharn, and Windi. Since then we've both learned how to adapt to how the other is feeling. If we hadn't we'd have gone insane years ago."

"How? I mean…if he is in the pain you say he is…how do you do it so that you aren't like me and balling your eyes out?" Celeste asked.

"This conversation we're having is part of that. Ask Kitali next time you see her…I use my holocommunicator a lot." The mage tenderly moved a few strands of Celeste's hair from her face. "Like I said…it never gets easier...you just find different avenues of releasing those emotions as if they were your own. How do you think it came to be that I have the best flower garden in all of Northrend?"

"And he likes to climb mountains," Celeste said managing a smile.

"Exactly," Demira smiled back. "In the meantime I'm here for you whenever you need me…I understand completely what you are going through."

* * *

Illiana trudged through the barren landscape without emotion. Behind her Grogg followed carrying more than enough emotional baggage for both of them. To the orc, his fellow padawan turned cold after their embrace in the ashes. They spoke little as they left the valley where Dorak sacrificed himself to save them and in the process apparently eliminate the entire army of demons that had been following them. They had walked twenty miles? Thirty? Grogg didn't care anymore. A great master of their order had perished and for what? A couple of padawans whose futures were uncertain? He couldn't fight like a true jedi despite all of the lessons with the weaponmaster. If Illiana had not intervened when she had, then that felhound would have surely killed him back in that timber. How effective a jedi would he be if he couldn't even raise his weapon to defend himself? What did Daneel see in him anyway? Sure he could heal others, but so could druids, shamans, and priests. What made him so special to the jedi grand master? He could think of nothing that was worth the weaponmaster's sacrifice, and the more he thought along those lines the more morose he became. Finally at one point he stopped and slumped against the base of a dead tree. Illiana had not been watching him closely and walked another hundred yards before she realized the orc was no longer following. She turned around with a heavy sigh to walk back and find him with his face buried in his hands and shoulders heaving from his sobs.

"Grogg…you have to get past this," she said as she placed her hands on her hips. "We've still got quite a distance to reach my mother and Adaria."

"Just…go on without me," he answered not looking at her. "You'd be better off without me anyway."

"Oh no…I need you to come heal my mother," Illiana huffed. "So get up off your ass and let's get moving."

"You need a jedi…and I am no jedi."

"You're more of a jedi than I will ever be," she replied. He looked up at her. "So quit your moping and let's go!"

"Nice try but it's not working," he said as tears ran down his cheeks. "You are already a better jedi than I could ever hope to be. You had to save me…remember?"

"What… you think killing is what it takes to be a jedi?" she asked. "Let me tell you something bluntly…anyone can kill, Grogg. If that's all it took then most of the inhabitants of this world would already be jedi. And it's not just about using the Force. Force using killers have a name, Grogg, and that is _sith_! No…you are more jedi than I."

"There are no sith…" he began.

"I _am_ sith!" she yelled at him. "My father was a pureblood…so just because I don't have his red skin doesn't mean I am any less one than he was." He looked at her in shock, and she took a deep breath before speaking again more calmly. "Being sith is more than just espousing a specific philosophy, Grogg. I have sith blood in my veins. Yes…I strive to learn the ways of the jedi, but I will always be a sith because of my heritage. I struggle every day with my anger…my hatred…my rage…at what my father was and what I am…every day I struggle with that. Being a jedi is not about the ability to kill…it's about the ability not to kill…that is why I am still a padawan, Grogg. Daneel had your girlfriend take me as her apprentice not just to train me, but to help her understand the struggles of those of us who have walked the dark path. She is pure like you…sees the good in everything…or at least tries to…just as you do. Being her padawan is a lesson for both of us. For me it is a chance to see the light and strive to follow her path…which I earnestly do because I want to and to be worthy of the sacrifice Daneel…and now Dorak…made for me. For Celeste it is to see the struggle I face every minute of every day because of who I am so she can help those she may meet in the future and help them strive for the light just as she helps me. But you, Grogg…you are so much more a jedi than I because you already live in the light. You cherish life and yearn to help even when you are not asked to do so. I know your history, that even when you lived in Outland you were known to help the downtrodden in the streets and alleys that no one else would look out for…and the fact that you have never killed a single creature even during your time as a pirate speaks volumes about your love of life. Remember also that I have been training in the Force since I could walk. Drakus trained me and when I failed he tortured me until I did what he wanted correctly. I hated him for that and it is a hatred I will never lose because even after I slew him I still hated him. So while you may think I am closer to being a jedi than you…you couldn't be more wrong. Just as I struggle now, I will always struggle for the rest of my days…I know this and so did Master Dorak." She turned and looked back south towards where her mother and Adaria were hiding. "I envy you, Grogg." She looked back over her shoulder at him. "I wish I had lived your life so that I would not have this hatred buried deep inside me…this anger that I can never rid myself of…because the one I wish so much to enact my vengeance upon is long since dead." She stood silent for a moment facing south again while Grogg tried to think of something to say. Finally she turned to look back at him. "I don't pretend to know what Master Dorak saw in us that he was willing to sacrifice himself, but I will not wallow in misery and squander the price he paid for my continued existence. I will strive to become better than I am and a jedi worthy of his faith in me. I suggest you do the same."

The orc stood and squared his shoulders giving Illiana a nod. She smiled at him finally. "I will," he said. She nodded her approval to him. "Can I ask you something, though?"

"Certainly."

"You've never spoken like this before," he started. "I never knew you had all of this bottled up inside. All of those nights we stayed up late talking and sparring yet you never said anything about this. Just who is it that you want to enact vengeance upon that is the root of all this hatred you carry?"

"My father…for making me this way," she answered as they started walking south. "He forced my mother to give me up when I was a newborn…I never had the chance to be anything else…and for that I would happily kill him if he still lived. That is the burden I will always carry, because at the core of that anger…I hate what I am."

* * *

Daneel perused a map of Kalimdor and another of Desolace. To his right was Shandris Feathermoon and his left was Aeyrn. The druid served with the Cenarion Circle in the region just after the Cataclysm and was familiar with the locals in the area…specifically the centaurs. According to Tyrande's plan, they would rendezvous with the rest of the night elven and draenei fleet the next morning off the coast of Desolace near Ethel Rethor. Usually the area was a hotbed of naga activity, but for the past nine months that was down considerably to an almost nonexistent level. Shandris smiled when she mentioned she knew the reason for the naga's recent change in behavior, but oddly she left out the details of her suspicions. Azshara still stewed over the betrayal of Illiana and the derailment of the plans she had for overtaking the world and the night elves in particular. The main question the leader's had was where to land their fleet and disembark the army they had gathered. The main coastal port in Desolace was Shadowprey Village which was almost directly west of Mannoroc Coven, but it was a troll controlled area aligned with the Horde and thus unfriendly with the night elves and the draenei. South and east of Ranazjar Isle was a river that led almost to the southern edge of the Cenarion Wildlands, but the water was too shallow to navigate. That left the option of beaching the ships along the Sar'theris Strand which was the northern coastlands of Desolace. The decrease of naga activity made this possible, but still the region was dangerous because of the reef near the shore and the continued makrura presence along that stretch of the coast. At least with the naga mostly gone the sea giants that had been in the area might also have left or at least would ignore the vessels as they approached the shore.

While Daneel planned strategy with Shandris and Aeyrn, Kai'moira lingered near the bow of the vessel. Years ago she had been on a surface naval vessel sailing on an ocean not unlike this one. She wore her hood down allowing the breeze to blow through her hair, and her red eyes closed as she basked in the simplicity of this sort of travel. The memories were bittersweet because the last time she sailed like this was in the company of Dorak and Zufa…close friends now removed from her life by different circumstances. Part of her entertained the idea of beginning a relationship with Dorak once he moved past his grieving period over Zufa's passing, but now she would never have that chance. Instead of regretting the future not realized Kai'moira embraced the philosophy that the married couple was again together and one with the Force.

"This must seem quite primitive compared to what you are used to," she heard a female voice say behind her. The jedi opened her eyes and turned to face a night elven woman smiling at her. She recognized her as the one called Tyrande and the leader of the kaldorei.

"Sometimes primitive is better," Kai'moira answered with a smile. "Despite where we are heading and the war we are about to engage in…I am enjoying this very much."

"Your friend would disagree with you," Tyrande said with a chuckle and pointed to Olivaw leaning over a railing amidships. Kai'moira laughed and hugged her stomach. "I take it his displeasure amuses you?"

"Ollie will be the first off this ship and he will physically kiss the ground," the jedi giggled. "His discomfort is only temporary, and you needn't worry about him…once the fighting starts he'll be the one on the front line and in the thickest fighting." She shook her head as her laughter diminished. "He has his demons that…"

"Demons? Like a warlock?" Tyrande asked.

"No…nothing like that," Kai'moira replied shaking her head. "I mean the personal kind…the kind that makes a person do things most others won't. He'll be the first to tell you he hates pain and avoids a confrontation, but if there is a fight he's also the first one to jump in line to protect another and…well…I've seen him almost get killed while saving a comrade in danger. Despite his _many_ faults…I would rather have no other at my side in a battle." The two women were quiet for a moment as they watched the smuggler hugging a post of the railing. Kai'moira looked back over at the high priestess. "Daneel says you are the one that healed the injury to Zharn's back."

"Most of the damage to his back was already healed…I just asked Elune to repair the nerves that would allow him the mobility he enjoyed before the injury."

"That's still very impressive," the jedi replied. "I have seen similar injuries, but I have never been capable of restoring nerve connections like that without the aid of cybernetics." She looked out past the bow of the ship. "There have been practitioners of the dark side that were capable of such healing…if one could call it such. One I know of for certain…every bone in his body had been broken, but through his pain and hatred he kept his body functioning through the Force…he was almost immortal…and highly unnatural."

"You talk of him in paste tense…I understand, then, that he no longer lives?"

"Darth Sion was his name…and no…he is quite dead."" Kai'moira looked back at the kaldorei leader. "He fell in love with a jedi which proved to be his downfall. His connection to his hatred was diminished in her presence…so he tried to kill her, but in the end she convinced him to give up his pain and hatred…and with it his life. I believe…I hope…that she was able to redeem him in the end."

"Were you the jedi this Darth Sion loved? Was it you he tried to kill?" Tyrande asked.

"No…what happened with him was over three hundred years ago during the Great Purge. At the time only one jedi remained in the galaxy. The sith had hunted and murdered the rest. This lone woman, Meetra Surik, rebuilt the order after that incident, and one of her apprentices recorded the tale of what happened during that time. It was her that Sion loved. She's somewhat of a hero of mine," Kai'moira said with a smile as she looked back at the high priestess. "Where I come from technology is everywhere and in everything. I wander if that reliance on it is why myself and many others are not capable of the healing you can accomplish. To pervert the Force like Darth Sion is inconceivable to the jedi…and in his case he could only do such for himself…not for others."

"But it was not I who healed Zharn, Kai'moira…" Tyrande began.

"Please…call me Kai…all my friends do."

"Ok…Kai," she said with a smile not offended at all by the jedi's interruption. "As I was saying it was not I that healed Zharn, but the blessings of the goddess Elune that allowed his nerves to mend and his mobility to return. It was she who recognized the goodness of his heart and she who returned his body to the state as it was before the injury. I simply prayed for her aid."

"Does she do that often?" Kai'moira asked. Daneel had told her of the entities viewed by many as gods and demigods that existed on this world and the magics they possessed. Whether a deity or not, this Elune was an important figure in the lives of the night elves, and she did not doubt that perhaps such a being was capable of healing a spinal injury as the orc had suffered.

"To my knowledge he is the first," Tyrande stated. "That he is an orc shows that a being's race is of little import to her when the heart is good and pure. Of that I had no doubt the day he was reunited with Kitali after he was healed."

The jedi returned her gaze out over the water. "Then let's hope she is with us when the fighting begins."

"Of that I also have no doubt," Tyrande said joining the jedi in looking out over the sea. "Elune will be with us."

* * *

"They must be stragglers left behind to search for Adaria and your mother," Grogg whispered from behind a pile of bleached kodo bones. Along with Illiana, he hid from about thirty satyrs, orcs, and a handful of felhounds. They were also very close to where they had sensed Adaria and Raeva. The orc padawan guessed perhaps another few hours journey before they would reach their fellow jedi and the druid, and now these demons blocked their way. "How are we going to get around them?"

Illiana had remained quiet since her outburst almost a day before. She credited Grogg for containing his emotional outbursts since then and they had covered a lot of ground. She had to remind herself that every force user would have a time of emotional strife as their connection to the Force not only was realized in a more profound way but also more intensely than any other sensation. Emotions could run rampant in jedi hopefuls and sith acolytes. For the jedi who were more inclined to cherish all forms of life, like Grogg, emotional outbursts such as his were common. Some padawans learned to adapt and overcome such obstacles as they trained while others discontinued their training and some very few were driven insane. She was confidant Grogg would adapt. His grieving was the source of his emotional trauma and, with his newfound connection to the Force and life; sacrificial acts by men like Dorak would be hard for him to face for a period a time. He would be stronger when all of this was over. For sith the dangers were just as profound but in the opposite direction. Those acolytes that took their lust for bloodshed too far were killed because they viewed such wanton behaviors as a weakness and to be culled from their society.

"Any ideas?" he asked her.

Grogg watched the elf as she looked over the pile of bones towards the demons meandering in the plain ahead of them. She seemed almost detached from her emotions since her outburst as before. He could not fathom the kind of struggle she said she dealt with every breath she took. Dorak knew it…had even given her one last word of advice before they left him alone in that valley. For the orc the struggle was more a matter of control. The death of Dorak reminded him of the time he departed with the pirate crew and gave up his life on the high seas as a marauder. They had come across a ship adrift off the coast of Lordaeron near Tirisfal Glades. The mast was broken and the sail tattered and useless. The pirates boarded the vessel and found a small family of four humans. While the others were raping the woman after killing the two men, Grogg had found a small girl of about six years of age with blonde curly hair belowdecks. He tried to comfort the child, but she screamed and drew the attention of some of his fellow shipmates. A few of those men wanted to rape her as they did her mother above, and Grogg stood between them trying to protect the child. One of them, he didn't remember which, struck him in the head knocking him unconscious. When he woke he found the humans all murdered and the ship ablaze. The pirate crew had left him behind to burn with the drifting vessel…a traitor. Fortunately there was a storm coming on the horizon and it arrived and extinguished the fire, but not before the ship broke apart. He remembered clinging to some of the wreckage for two days before washing up on the shore of an uncharted island. Looking back he felt sorry for that girl and her family, but he was also glad that his pirating days were over. He regretted, however, that it took such a tragedy to part him from that lifestyle and was why he had lived in Outland for so long never desiring to return to this world full of hatred and malice. Had he stayed with the pirates much longer he would have become one of them, and that was something he despised. Although he did not die as Dorak had, he too was willing to sacrifice himself to save another and the only time he ever felt comfortable with possibly taking a life. The strangest feeling for the orc...now... was to be on the receiving end of such an act. As he looked at the elf with him now he realized that she never had the chance to break free from a life she never wanted as he did.

"Illiana?" he whispered again. "We have to get past them to reach your mother and Adaria." Still she did not look at him. "Any ideas? Because I don't have any."

The elf reached down to her waist and pulled the hilt of her saberstaff from its notch. He didn't like where this was heading. "Stay here," she finally answered.

"Look…there are too many for the two of us to…" he began, but then she turned to look at him and he froze. He had heard Daneel and Celeste talk about when they had to face the elf in combat, but he had never personally seen her then. Now he looked not into the beautiful deep blue eyes he was familiar with, but red eyes with yellow rings around the irises.

"Stay here and keep quiet," she said coldly. "I'll clear a path through them."

The orc just stared at her as she stood up from behind the pile of bones. None of the satyrs or orcs noticed her at first as she marched towards them holding the now ignited twin crimson blades of her saberstaff at her side in her right hand. Not until she was just ten yards from the nearest satyr did it finally look at her. He started to say something but was stopped when the elf reached out with her left hand and engulfed him in purple lighting that sprang from her fingertips. His yowls of pain alerted the rest if the orcs and satyrs, and it only seemed to fuel her rage. The first demon slumped to the ground as she threw her saberstaff at the next nearest to her. The blades circled around the hilt as it flew through the air and the necks of the two satyrs before returning to her outstretched left hand. Those remaining stood poised with weapons in hand but in shock as more lighting sprung from her right hand into three orcs. The plains echoed with their cries of anguish before they finally expired. The four felhounds launched themselves at her, but she ducked under them and swung up with her weapon eviscerating one that was directly above her head. It fell with a thump as the remaining three turned to face her. Illiana extinguished the saberstaff's blades and placed the hilt on her belt. Sensing that she was surrendering, the felhounds began to circle her. The elf lowered her head and raised both arms to her sides as her body began to lift from the ground. Purple lightning arced along her arms, and then she raised her head to look at the demons. Lightning came from everywhere to encircle the hounds striking them over and over. They writhed in agony as the bolts from the lightning storm continuously struck them until they were reduced to piles of ash. The elf lowered to the ground once the storm ceased, and she turned back to face the remaining orcs and satyrs. Silence in the plains was now deafening as they stood looking at her in shock. Within seconds she had killed six of their number and four demonic beasts. She walked towards them for a few steps, and with each step she approached they collectively retreated a step. Several of them looked to others around them hoping one of them would have the courage to advance on this lone elf, but none were willing to chance their lives for the sake of the others. One satyr, in the middle and largest of the remaining group, finally worked up the nerve to step forward. The elf with red eyes smiled as she reached out with her right hand. The satyr suddenly dropped his weapon and groped at his throat. Murmurs and gasps came from the rest of the demonic gathering as the largest of them lifted from the ground and appeared to be choking from an invisible hand. The elf cocked her head to the side and looked at one orc in particular…one with a scar running down the right side of his face and with a broken tusk. He carried an axe in each hand.

"Where is my mother?!" she demanded. She didn't shout, but her voice rang throughout the area. One satyr towards the rear of the company dropped his weapon and covered his ears. "Where?!"

"Just who _are_ you?" the scarred orc asked.

Neck bones cracked as the satyr that was choking slumped. The elf opened the fingers of her outstretched hand and the body flew into several of those behind it knocking them to the ground. At the same time her other hand pulled the hilt from her waist and threw it towards the orc who spoke. In midflight the crimson blades ignited and sawed the hapless orc in half then striking down another before circling back to her hand. A few more orcs grew angered at this and overcame their fear of the lone woman. They charged with weapons raised intent on killing this upstart elf, but as they neared she jumped high…much too high for any mere mortal…and landed behind them. The three orcs never had a chance to face her again because she pivoted on her heal upon landing with saberstaff swinging. In seconds the brave orc's heads rolled near their fallen bodies. Illiana finished her spin to again face the rest of the demonic group now slinking away from her. Eyes narrowed as she watched them, she extinguished the blades and placed the hilt back on her belt. Breathing slow and deliberate, she raised her arms to her sides as purple lightning arced once again from elbows to fingertips. The satyrs and orcs scattered in a panic knowing what was coming next having seen her make the same movements against the felhounds. She cackled as their circle grew wider. Rising to about two feet above the ground, the elven padawan unleashed her storm upon those fleeing. None of her opponents escaped the barrage of lightning that illuminated the plain. The only sound louder than the strikes of Force lightning were those of the orcs and satyrs as all were the focus of her rage.

Their kind had almost killed her mother and forced a mentor to sacrifice himself. They wanted to destroy the world and she would not…by any means…allow that to happen. She embraced the dark side of the Force as she poured more of its power into her storm. Soon there would be nothing left of these foul creatures but piles of ash. Oh, how she wished she had stayed with Dorak and done this with the army so that he could still live. If only her mother could see her now, she would be so…terrified. That realization sent a shockwave through the elf's body, and suddenly she lowered to the ground. The lightning barrage ceased but that did not matter…most of the orcs and satyrs were already dead. What had she done? When they came upon the demons all she could think about was vengeance. Vengeance for the pain she felt from her mother…vengeance for the death of Dorak…vengeance for the deaths of more to come should the Burning Legion come to this world once again…vengeance…against her father. Illiana fell to her knees as she scanned the area around her. Bodies were burning and a few still lived, but in agony as their moans she could now hear. This is what _they_ did…not a jedi. Her shoulders slumped as she started to weep. What she had just done…she was no better than a demon.

After a moment…an hour…she stopped caring how long…she felt a hand on her shoulder. The presence was familiar, and she looked up with teary deep blue eyes at the compassionate face of Grogg. "I-I-I'm sorry," she whispered.

Grogg knelt down next to her and embraced her letting her bury her face in his chest. "I take it you lost your struggle a little there?" he said with a smile. She nodded as she gripped the clothing of his robes with her fingers. "I could feel your pain, Illiana. It was not anger or hatred that fuelled this outburst…it was pain." He lifted her chin so that he could see her eyes. Tears stained her cheeks as her lips trembled. 'The fact that you feel this way now after having done this tells me something very important about you."

"That I am just like my father? A sith who is no better than the demons? That I am hopeless and will never become a jedi?" she answered quietly.

"If you were like your father then you would have done this because of what they had done to you…not because of what they have done to others or intend to do. Your heart is in the right place…it's just your methodology that is a little off," he said still smiling.

"And just how do you know _why_ I lost my control this time?" she asked.

Grogg wiped a tear from her cheek with his finger and held it for her to see. As she gazed at his wet finger he whispered, "This is how I know why."


	12. Landfall

**_Part Twelve: Landfall_**

"I don't know what to do," Adaria said to the unconscious Raeva as much as she did to herself. The elven jedi lay on her stomach with her back covered in leaves and bits of clothing to protect the ointments the druid had placed on the elder's wounds. Very little still lived in the area after the demon army marched through, and the only tree still living was the one the two elves stayed perched in for safety as much as comfort. Adaria, however, was not a healer and try as she might while using all of her knowledge and the remaining life energies in the area, Raeva's condition was worsening. The quel'dorei was feverish and the mysterious poison ravaged her body. The druid ran her fingers through Raeva's sweat soaked red hair as she looked out across the dead plains below them. She prayed to Elune for help to come and save the woman lying next to her, but for four days none appeared. She couldn't leave the elder elf alone in her condition. The demons could return at any time, and even if Raeva were isolated and hidden they would eventually find and certainly kill her. No…Adaria couldn't leave, but she neither could she stay for much longer waiting for help that may never arrive. Without assistance from a more experienced or proficient healer, Adaria was certain the jedi would die.

"I hope you can hear me, Raeva," the druid whispered into the high elf's ear. "I must try to get help for you, but I cannot leave either. So I am going to try something that I have only done twice before….enter the Emerald Dream. I am not sure if you are aware of what the Dream is, but I will enter a sleeping state so that I might find another to come heal you. I wish there was more I could do, and I am sorry that my skills are insufficient to cure what ails you." She stroked her fingers through Raeva's hair one last time. "I ask that you forgive me should I fail."

Of course, there was no response from Raeva and Adaria didn't expect one. Still, she had to say what she felt out loud as much for the quel'dorei as for herself. The druid moved to the end of the bough nearest the truck and sat cross-legged. She leaned back against the tree and rested her arms on her legs. Unlike her brother who had studied and practiced druidism most of his life, Adaria had not been a one for more than a few years. Her experience before was as a sentinel serving under Shandris Feathermoon, but after the conflict with Ragnaros in the Firelands, Adaria desired to become a druid. Now she was attempting something she had done only twice and even then in the company of other druids, to enter the Emerald Dream. While it was true that she could get lost in that other realm and never return to her physical body and thereby Raeva would die unattended; the elven jedi would still perish if Adaria did not at least attempt to find help. For the druid the choice was clear.

The night elf closed her eyes to reach a meditative state. Fear pricked at the edges of her consciousness causing her to momentarily doubt her abilities, but she pushed back with a renewed confidence that she must succeed. The red-eyed visage of Thera'gon crossed before her mind's eye as she delved deeper into slumber. The nightmare of what the man had done in Ashenvale to the furbolgs and her brother causing her to hesitate for a second, but then she laughed at it. The old highborne was dead long ago and his threat never of any real significance, and soon it disappeared from her vision. Then she found herself back sitting on the bough of the tree. The elven jedi sat before her cradling a newborn girl with black hair and deep blue eyes. Raeva cooed to her little baby and whispered how proud she was of her child. Adaria smiled for she knew this woman loved her daughter so very much and it was that love that kept her alive despite the poisons ravaging her body. She looked up at the druid with the warmest smile.

"Isn't she just the most beautiful baby girl you have ever seen?" Raeva's spiritual form asked her. She looked back down at the newborn. "I haven't decided on a name for her yet." She looked back up at the druid still smiling. "I've waited for so long for a child, and now that I have this amazing gift is it so horrible that I have not thought of a name for her yet? Her father wants to call her Narcissis, but I'm not real keen to that name. It's too sithy…I want something elven for my beautiful elven girl."

Adaria had not expected this. Certainly she might have seen the jedi in this realm, but to see how much of her happiness centered on her only child… "Illiana?" was the only thing she could think of for a response. It was, after all, the only name she knew of for Raeva's daughter.

"Illiana…Illiana….I like it," Raeva beamed and then looked back down at the baby in her arms. "That's your name, my little love…Illiana." The girl cooed back at the mother.

Adaria remained in admiration for a moment until it was clear Raeva had forgotten about her and was more focused on the infant in her arms. The night elf climbed down the tree to begin her journey to find help. While other, more experienced druids could fly, sprint abnormally fast, and perform other quicker means of transportation, Adaria was not so experienced than to travel in this realm as she would in her physical body. Time also had no meaning here, but it did back in the physical realm where Raeva still suffered from demonic poisoning. That was also not lost on the druid…that she could get lost not only from her physical body but from _when_ she was as well. After some effort she reached the base of the tree and turned around for the surprise of her life…Malfurion Stormrage stood waiting for her.

"Shan'do?" she gasped.

Malfurion smiled at the woman. "It is a brave act you undertake, Adaria. The Emerald Dream is no place for a lone wanderer inexperienced as yourself." She began to speak but he held up his hand. "It's not admonishment I am speaking but admiration. I gather she diminishes?" he asked looking up to where Raeva still lay in the bough of the tree.

"I didn't know what else to do, Shan'do," Adaria answered bowing her head. "I couldn't simply leave her, but I am not a healer and she needs one desperately. The poison…"

"You made the right choice and I think the only one given the circumstances," Malfurion said. "But I _can_ tell you that help is on the way." She looked up to him with wide eyes. "Her daughter will arrive soon with an orc who I believe is the healer that can save her life."

"But what of the demons?" Adaria asked concerned with the news. Would they follow the jedi to this location?

"The army you escaped from…it is no more," the Archdruid replied. "One of their masters defeated it singlehandedly. The one group that was between them and you…her daughter slaughtered them not long ago. The only remaining demons…for the moment…are still in Mannoroc Coven."

Despite being in the presence of the most powerful and wise druid on Azeroth, Adaria paced with the news. Hope yet fear gripped her that her shan'do referred to the one jedi that had risked everything to save her when the Avatar of N'Zoth controlled her mind. Were things so dire that the great jedi master himself had come to this region? "Was the master…was it Daneel? Does he come with them as well?"

"It was not the one called Daneel," Malfurion answered. "Since you last saw them, three more from his…realm…have arrived on this world. Two are masters…a human male and a woman of a race I have never seen. It was the human that defeated the army that passed through here. However, he is not with the girl and the orc."

"Why?"

"He…perished…when he defeated the army. A sacrifice worthy of remembrance for all time," Malfurion said hanging his head. "Very few act with such selflessness…I admire him for not only what he did…" his voice trailed for a second. "The man was at peace in the end. I have never seen one so calm and serene at the moment when most others would harbor second thoughts and doubts."

"There is no emotion, there is peace," she whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"It's the first line of their belief…the code they live by…these jedi," she answered. "I have learned it since their leader, Daneel, saved me from the control of N'Zoth in Northrend. I…I try to live by it as they do. I am sorry, Shan'do. Perhaps as a druid that is wrong of me."

"Tell me this code," he asked of her.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force. This last part I do not understand, but it does give me comfort to know that they believe there is more than just this life…that death is but another beginning…I think the human believed that at the end when he defeated the demons."

"I may understand these jedi better now," he contemplated. He looked at Adaria and smiled. "You must make preparations for when the other two arrive."

Adaria looked at the Archdruid in confusion. "Preparations?" she asked. All around them in the Emerald Dream the area looked as it should without the corruption of sentient beings or the demons. Lush trees and bushes surrounded them…patches of flowers…grasses green and vibrant. "The world is not like this," she said with a wave her arms. "Except for this tree where we have hid…nothing else lives. All was destroyed by the demons."

"This I know, Adaria," Malfurion responded with a smile. Around them the lush landscape changed to the barren wasteland left behind in the demonic army's wake. "This is how the world is in the physical realm, but I have spoken with this tree and it will aid us in saving the woman's life." He walked over and placed his hand on the trunk. "When you return to your body and wake, you will find several large branches will have fallen to the ground. These are the tree's gifts to us."

Adaria walked to stand next to Malfurion. "What must I do, Shan'do?"

"A long time ago…Cenarius showed me how to craft an axe from a piece of wood. It is this same spell I will teach you now…and you must remember it when you wake. For while the demons are no longer in this area or between the regions from here to Karnum's Glade, you cannot stay here long…they will emerge from the Coven once more." He looked over to Adaria. 'Therefore, you will construct a wheeled litter for carrying the woman from this place to the Glade. I have already told the tree what was needed…you will only need to speak these words and the wood will do the rest."

"I understand, Shan'do," Adaria replied.

"Good," he said with a smile. "But before we begin…I feel you should continue to live by their code, Adaria." She cocked her head to the side. "I will explain more once the crisis with the Burning Legion is resolved, but I suspect there is more in your future than you realize."

* * *

Kuro never reached Daneel or the fleet sailing to Desolace. She had flown to the northern edge of the Stonetalon Mountains when she met with the flight of dragons led by Alexstrasza and Ysera. Upon seeing the others, she diverted her course to join them and between the two sisters. As she entered the formation, Kuro relayed the orders given by Dorak before she departed from Karnum's Glade. Then the Life Binder shared the news of a jedi's passing as she experienced it through the Force. A stunned Kuro flew silent as she processed the information with a saddened heart. In Kuro's mind it had to be the human master if Alexstrasza felt the jedi's death through the Force. She did not know Dorak well, but she had come to respect him despite her misgivings about his plans back at the Glade. She also knew of the pain he held from the death of his wife and Daneel's sister. The black dragon hoped that pain was not the reason behind the jedi master's demise. After a few moments she suggested that two dragons fly to intercept Tariolstrasz and Vethsera and return the druids to Karnum's Glade. In devising his plans, Dorak was unaware of the flight of dragons coming from the north. Even if the demonic army marched into the Cenarion Wildlands, dragons provided an advantage for which the demons were ill prepared.

As two dragons proceeded to meet with the separated druids and their escorting dragons, the rest flew to Karnum's Glade. However, Kuro continued southward with Alexstrasza and Ysera following and Kitali and Zharn still riding atop of each. They followed the most likely path the three jedi had taken once they left the Glade, but discerning where the jedi master had fallen proved more difficult than any could have imagined…everything below them was dead and barren…it all appeared the same. Finally they found the path of the demonic army by the wide swath of footprints in the gray soil. The dragons followed this to a valley between two large hills and where the path suddenly ended. Once on the ground, the three dragons transformed into their humanoid forms as they surveyed the area.

"This isn't dirt," Zharn said as he knelt and held a handful of ash in his hand. The others stopped and looked at the ground. "It is ash…all of it…is ash."

"What happened here?" Ysera asked as she knelt down to more closely examine the ground. "Where is the army? The demons?"

"And where are the jedi?" Kuro added. She looked over at the Life Binder who stood several yards from her. "You felt only one expire…then where are other two?"

"I think the ashes are all that is left of the army and the jedi I felt die," she answered as she looked over the valley. "He or she must have done something that reduced them all to this. Most likely it was the master. The power I felt in his passing was staggering…almost as much as I can sense from Daneel when I am near him."

Kitali walked and stood next to her husband and looked at the tops of both hills before gazing southward. The winds were blowing her black hair into her face. "This wind…it obscures much. The lightning flashes provide the only source of light, but if I were them…I would move in that direction," she said pointing to the southern hilltop.

Zharn reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out the holocomm. He triggered the contact on the side, but nothing happened except for hints of static noise and no image above the device. His brow furrowed as he shut down the device and placed it back into his pouch. "There's too much atmospheric interference for the holocomm. I can't reach them or Daneel from this region. I can't reach anyone." He looked up at Kitali. "If we could only tell Daneel what we have found here…I _know_ he could tell us what happened."

"You think this is the result of some jedi power?" Kuro asked the orc.

The shaman bowed his head with a slight nod. "But one that is not used often…otherwise Dorak would still be here," Zharn replied solemnly. "I am guessing they were discovered somehow by the army and it turned to follow them. He must've sent the others away before the demons arrived…and then sacrificed himself. Perhaps he meant to destroy the army…or only delay them so that Illiana and Grogg could escape…"

Alexstrasza turned to look at Ysera and Kuro. "The two of you should head back to Karnum's Glade and rendezvous with the others. I will head south and look…"

"I beg to differ, my queen," Kuro interrupted with a bowed head. "But it should be me that goes south."

"And your reasoning?" Ysera asked for her sister.

Kuro looked up. "When I first arrived at the Glade I was accompanied by a red and a green and with mortal riders on our backs. Vethsera acted as emissary with Karnum, but I know that my presence was noticed by many of the druids. Then when I met with you over the Stonetalon Mountains the shamans also took notice. Outside a few mortals and our flights, the rest of the world knows nothing of my redemption in your eyes. While my initial contacts may be overlooked by them at the onset…they will begin to question why a black dragon is present _and_ with the Burning Legion so close at hand. My flight has a horrendous history especially with the mortals and they will require answers. I am afraid of neither the questions nor the answers, but those answers would be better received and accepted if they came from the two of you than from me or any other dragon."

The sister Aspects looked at each other for a moment before returning their attention to Kuro. "You are correct, of course," Ysera stated.

"And a wise decision," the Life Binder added. "Very well…we shall return to Karnum's Glade with Kitali and Zharn." She walked over to place a hand on Kuro's shoulder. "Find the others and bring them back to the Glade. Daneel's plans were to meet there and where for the immediate future there will be safety in numbers. We will address any concerns of the mortals there in the meantime."

* * *

Kai'moira was almost right…Olivaw was the third person off the ship when the fleet landed along the Sar'theris Strand. Daneel and Demira stepped on shore first and Shandris Feathermoon was just behind them before the smuggler ran through the crowd and jumped ahead to the sandy beach. The Sentinel General worried the man might actually suffocate when he buried his face deeply while kissing the ground, but after a moment he leaned back with a big gasp of air and smiling widely. Kai'moira and Celeste followed Shandris leaving the ship, and while several of the crew worked at unloading various mounts and weaponry they brought with them, the two jedi met with the Sentinel General on the beach. For the most part their arrival appeared unnoticed. No mukrurs or naga patrolled the Strand that morning, and no sea giants had hindered their progress across the reef. The sun shone brightly and the air agreeable. Had the threat of the demons not been foremost on his mind, Daneel believed this would make a nice vacation spot. He even mentioned this to Demira as they walked apart from the others, but she pointed inland to where the sky darkened and lightning flashed. The region around the beach was quite pleasant when naga or other dangerous peoples were not present, but within an hour's walk from the beach Desolace was a much different place…hence the name. Beyond the lush tree line the area was barren for miles and vast graveyards covered with the scattered bones of kodos from over the centuries. No one knew why the creatures came to this region as their life neared an end. Also further inland were several tribes of centaurs that warred against each other and with outsiders. The constant conflicts never allowed the land a chance to thrive, and since the warring started between the Alliance and the Horde, Desolace was a highly contested and volatile region.

The jedi couple had just rejoined with the others when a loud commotion erupted in the tree line with shouts of "For the Horde". They turned to see a small army of about one hundred orcs, taurens, and trolls emerge onto the beach wielding swords, axes, and bows. Daneel ran to midway between the landing party and the oncoming combatants and reached out with both hands. Through the Force he pushed the entire army to their backsides. Behind him Shandris moved with lightning speed to gather what night elves and draenei had disembarked the ship and muster them into some sort of defense. Several of their vessels were still too far out to lend assistance in the manner of ground troops to hold off the Horde army that surprised them. Demira rushed to stand beside her husband's right side while Celeste ran to his left. Beside the human soon stood Kai'moira, and beside her was the now recovered smuggler. As the Horde members regained their footing, the jedi and smuggler crouched in preparation for a fight.

"Our quarrel is not with you," Daneel shouted to what appeared to be the opponent's leader…a bald and clean shaven orc wearing black plate armor and holding a great double bladed war axe with a heart-shaped head in his left hand. He was the first to his feet and glared at the jedi. "It would be best if you placed your weapons on the ground at your feet. There is no need for violence here today."

The orc's shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breathing. Around him his army gathered bristling with anger and confusion. They wore various forms of armor ranging from simple leathers to plate armor like their leader. Since his Force Push had worked on every member of the Horde before him, Daneel felt certain no mages using arcane energies were present in this entourage but that did not discount for any shamans, priests, or druids.

"You fly Alliance colors!" the leader yelled pointing at the ship behind the line of jedi. "And you have many ships I am certain are filled with warriors. You mean to invade this land…and I intend to stop you. Kalimdor belongs to the Horde."

"I say again," Daneel replied calmly. "Our fight is not with you." At his right side the green blade of his lightsaber ignited with a snap/hiss. Around the orc leader gasps permeated the air. "This is a fight you do not want…I assure you."

At that moment Demira ignited the green blade of her lightsaber followed by the violet blades of Kai'moira's and Celeste's saberstaff. Lastly there was a clicking sound as Olivaw withdrew his twin blasters from their holsters. The Horde army gaped at the strange weapons in the jedi's hands as they ignited, and then looks of confusion could be seen on many faces at the sounds of the smuggler's guns.

"Kind of anticlimactic…wouldn't you say, Ollie?" Kai'moira whispered from the corner of her mouth.

"Think so?" he replied with a smile and then fired off two shots at a tree near the Horde's army. The bolts ripped into the trunk and it exploded showering splinters on several gaping nearby. "How about now?" he whispered to the jedi.

"Meh." The chiss woman said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Seriously?" Olivaw asked incredulously.

Daneel walked to stand halfway between the other jedi and the Horde army. "Lay down your weapons and I give you my word that none of you will come to any harm."

The taurens and trolls began to lower their weapons. The leader and the orcs around him tightened their grips on their axes and swords. Murmuring spread amongst them as they stared at the strange weapons still glowing and humming in hands of the jedi. The leader looked around him as now some orcs began to lower their weapons. He turned his head to look back at the lone human standing with the green magical sword. His breathing intensified with his anger as his lips curled around his tusks and his grip audibly tightened on the handle of his war axe.

"Cowards!" he shouted to his army. "He's nothing more than a human mage with cheap parlor tricks!"

"But, Lokar, their weapons are unlike any magical kind I have ever seen," a nearby tauren said to him. "And that force that pushed us back…never have I witnessed a mage do that with a simple push of his hands. He incanted no spell!"

"I will show you all just how foolish you are!" he shouted as he raised his axe above his head with both hands and charged at the jedi grand master. Daneel stood still and silent as the orc approached. At the last second as Lokar swung his axe to cleave the miraluka in twain, he sidestepped and brought his lightsaber up to cut the head of the axe in half. Lokar's momentum continued until he fell face first into the sand. Daneel stretched out with his left hand to push the severed half of the axe with the Force several yards away, and with a pivot he stood over the fallen orcish leader. Gasps and murmurs continued amongst the members of the Horde. Lokar picked his head up and spat out a mouthful of sand.

"You cannot defeat me," Daneel stated calmly. "Yield now and there will be no bloodshed. I am not your enemy."

"I do not trust the word of a human," Lokar huffed as he rose up on his knees to look defiantly at the jedi while holding the ruined half of his axe in his right hand. "Kill me now and be done with it."

"You are mistaken," the jedi said as he removed the visor from his face. More gasps came from the Horde and now also from encroaching night elves and draenei on the beach. "I am not a human…and I say again I am not your enemy. A greater threat than I or those with me lurks in these lands and we have come to face _them_…not you or any other member of the Horde." He replaced the visor and looked at the rest of the army. "The Burning Legion has returned."

"Lokar," the tauren said.

The orc looked down at the sand and nodded. "Then our fears are true," he said solemnly. "The demons of the Coven have been quiet of late. We sent spies from Shadowprey Village…none returned."

The tauren approached the jedi and the orc while Demira walked over to stand by her husband. All lightsabers' blades extinguished as the tauren faced Daneel. "I am called Cheyuun Lonebrook," he said with a nod of his head. The braids of his raven hair were adorned with bone polished to a high sheen and clinked together when his head moved. "When some of our troll brethren spotted your ships sailing here, we assumed the silence in Mannoroc Coven was of Alliance design…a ruse to launch an attack on Shadowprey Village. While we prepared for an attack from the sea, an Alliance army would emerge from the Coven to attack our rear. We decided to act first instead of waiting for an ambush."

"It's a plan I would use if I could subdue the demons in that region…something human warlocks could possibly achieve," Lokar stated still looking at the ground. "So while we followed the coast watching you, what a surprise to see you land here of all places." He looked up at Daneel and Demira. "How can I know for certain that this isn't an Alliance trick…that what you say is true and the Legion has returned?"

"If it was a trick we wouldn't be talking," Cheyuun stated bluntly to the orc as much as the jedi. "His weapon is unlike any we've seen. It cut through your axe as easily as it cuts air. He could have killed you and yet you still live. I believe that is a truth we cannot deny."

"Your friend speaks wisely," Daneel added. "I can offer no proof other than to ask you to join us."

Shandris Feathermoon stood no more than twenty yards behind the jedi and had remained there during the entire exchange, but upon hearing the jedi offer an alliance with the orc she voiced her opinion. "I would not recommend such an act, Master Jedi," she shouted as she walked towards the four. "They are Horde and cannot be trusted in times like these. Their Warchief has declared that he will stop at nothing to claim _all_ of Kalimdor for the Horde. I was there when he started this war…when he bombed Theramore!"

Daneel turned his head to address the concerns of the Sentinel General. "The Burning Legion cares nothing about what divides you. In my vision I sensed millions on the other side of the portal…_millions_…and _all_ eager to come through and slaughter everything living on this world. These men and women are threatened by the demons as equally as are we, and they deserve a chance to defend their home as much as us." He looked back at the orc and tauren. Lokar still knelt on his knees. "What say you? Are you willing to forget the hostility between your factions for at least the time being and join us in facing this threat to _our_ world?"

"A truce…to fight for you?" Lokar asked.

Daneel looked at the orc and then at the rest of the Horde army. "Not for me but for our world …our homes…to fight for our families and loved ones against a foe that will do everything in its power to eradicate all of them."

Shandris was now standing beside Demira and glared at the orc on his knees. "You ask much, Master Jedi." Her nostrils flared as silence followed her statement for a moment. "I am willing to forget past indiscretions while we face the demons…after that I cannot promise anything."

"You were at Theramore?" Cheyuun asked the night elf.

"She already said she was," Lokar answered with a low growl and then looked up at Shandris. "Believe me when I tell you that not all of us in the Horde agree with Garrosh's actions. Why do you think we are here in this forsaken place instead of with the rest of the armies in Pandaria? Some taurens and trolls have spoken openly against him…and many of us orcs would welcome the return of Thrall as Warchief." He looked at the jedi grand master. "I fought against the Burning Legion before and I will join you to fight them again if indeed they have returned." Now he looked back at Shandris. "I have no family left to fight for…mine were all killed when the Legion was last here…but I will fight for others so that they may be spared the pain I suffered…will that suffice for you, night elf?" he asked offering his hand to the Sentinel General.

Shandris reached out and took Lokar's hand and pulled him to his feet. "It will…for now," she answered.


	13. A Narrow Escape

**_Part Thirteen: A Narrow Escape_**

For several hours the fleet offloaded the supplies for the ground army amassed by the night elves and draenei. During that time Okus knelt before the portal in Mannoroc Coven grasping his throat and struggling for breath. Around the portal satyrs and orcs prostrated before the mammoth structure as a booming voice filled the air. Corpses of several foolish mages littered the ground before the portal. When they complained that they were expending too much energy and needed a break, Okus slaughtered them for their impudence. Sargeras would not wait indefinitely. Now as he choked by the demon lord's might, he thought perhaps killing those weaklings had actually been a gift. His black orbs for eyes bulged as he watched scores of demons pour out from the portal now held open by Sargeras himself, but the connection was tenuous. Although it looked like any other portal, this particular structure was designed for use with Force energies and not the potentially more destructive arcane energies. After the demise of Dzovitza and Atazay, that method of opening the portal disintegrated along with Okus' aspirations of replacing Kil'jaeden at the right hand of Sargeras. He resorted to using older arcane methods to proceed with bringing the demonic legion to this world, but for such a portal to succeed required different glyphs, runes, and other arcane writings and etchings into the stone to bolster the strength of the structure. This one had none of those, so it was limited to the amount of arcane energy one could use to pour into the dimensional opening without ripping the actual structure apart. Sargeras was very disappointed.

"I reconstituted my body for this moment, Okus, and yet still I cannot enter to that world." the booming voice resounded through the region surrounding the portal. "There is something to say about feeling the world burn beneath the flesh of my feet…so you will enlighten me as to how you have failed me so completely."

Eredar, ered'ruin, felhounds, and other forms of demons continued to come forth from the portal and step around those that remained prostrate in the presence of their god. The valley behind the choking being filled with the smaller forms of demons because larger kinds like the mammoth sized Pit Lords still could not fit through the opening of the portal. The invisible hand at Okus' throat relaxed allowing him to breathe, but it did not release its grip entirely. The wrong answer would be his last in this realm, of that he was certain. To lie, however, would lead to a fate far worse than the emptiness of oblivion.

"I await an answer, Okus!"

"M-m-my Lord…I…" he began but the invisible hand clenched again choking him.

"I already know the answer…you disappoint me in that you do not. That body you inhabit…it belonged to a race I found cowering in fear on a distant glacial planet. They possessed knowledge and power I expected to bring this world to ruin…so I offered them salvation in exchange for their service." The grip lessened on the throat of Okus allowing him to breathe enough to stay conscious. "With their power…one based on and generated by life…they could manipulate it…pervert it…bend it to their will…something I have forgotten."

"Y-you…f-forgot…"Okus tried to question.

"I have forgotten more than you could ever possibly know," the booming voice answered. "Do not interrupt me again." Okus nodded feebly. "This race of beings could create controllable beasts from other living creatures with this power they called the Force…and it was this power I sought to usurp the freedoms mortals of this world currently enjoy. Rakghouls were what these wonderful creatures were called…the mindless and controllable manifestations of these sith's perversions of this Force. Unlike undead creatures…these rakghouls spread their plague amongst the living at an incredible rate creating a veritable army bent on nothing but feeding and destroying everything living in their midst while also multiplying their numbers. I planned to begin with this world and then once all of its creatures were transformed into rakghouls…I would take them to other worlds. The Burning Legion would grow exponentially…that is until these…_sith_…failed."

Silence followed as demon after demon emerged from the portal. Despite that Okus hovered near the edge of consciousness, he began to understand why his master sought these sith in the beginning. Demons were from other races that pledged allegiance to the great Sargeras but still maintained their individuality. These rakghouls, however, would be under his control and follow his desires without question or ambition…perfect cannon fodder for other worlds the demon lord chose as his next target for destruction. With this kind of army, Sargeras would have no need for the likes of Kil'jaeden or himself. The realization both thrilled and terrified him.

"These…sith…had an enemy they were hiding from when I discovered them," the booming voice of Sargeras resumed. "They called them jedi…users of this Force that adhered to the light. Through the eyes of your companions I witnessed their demise at the hands of one of these…_jedi_." Okus's mind reeled. What was a jedi? His body contained no memories of such a race. Granted that it had gaps in those memories, but if what Sargeras was telling him was fact and that this body's past inhabitant had fled this mysterious race, there should be some sort of recollection upon hearing the name jedi yet there was nothing. "Through others I have discovered another of these jedi on this world that poses a threat to us because of your failure, Okus. You will find and defeat this creature before he can unleash his army upon this valley and destroy the portal…this very portal…you failed to properly construct."

"A-alone?" Okus struggled to question as the flow of demons through the portal ceased.

"I just sent an army of ten thousand to aid you in that endeavor," the voice of Sargeras responded from the portal. Okus felt the invisible grip disappear from his throat. He swallowed hard as he turned and walked to the edge of the cliff to overlook the valley below…the same valley where last he stood with Dzovitza and Atazay. He felt breathless as he gazed upon the masses of demons lined in formations before him. "While you deal with this jedi…these other creatures prostrating before me will construct a proper portal so that I may enter and finish what was started millennia ago by the way these mortals measure the passage of time." Okus fell to his knees and cried out in pain as the presence of Sargeras bore upon his consciousness. "Do not fail me again, Okus."

* * *

"We should march on the demon army from here," Olivaw said as he paced near Daneel and Shandris Feathermoon as they examined a map of Desolace. It was set atop a small table surrounded by the jedi and Sentinel General plus Lokar, Cheyuun, Demira, Kai'moira, Celeste, and the draenei leader named Veira. The army had set up camp on the beach after offloading the ships and prepared to move out in the morning for Karnum's Glade. Surrounding them was a bustle of activity as those preparations were still under way.

"This isn't Corellia, Ollie," Daneel responded.

"No…no…it's not Corellia. That's something I thought _you_ would especially notice," the zabrak stated as he stopped to face the jedi. The setting sun glistened off the shoulder pouldrons and holsters of his armor. "You can't just march in on one front. Unlike Corellia…you don't have ships in high orbit that can bombard the enemy from space!"

"Their main army here has been decimated…I've seen it through the Force," Daneel said placing his hands on his hips. "Now is the time to gather our forces for a single assault. Strength in numbers. Dorak's sacrifice…"

"It's his passing and your sister's that clouds your judgment," the smuggler countered interrupting the jedi grand master. "The time to strike is now…not after a few days to gather the army and then march on the portal…strike now and from two fronts before they can rebuild. Send runners to those in the Glade and tell them to march towards the Coven while we move from here and flank the demons before they know what hit them."

"And if they have rebuilt then either or both armies could be destroyed," Daneel responded. "The casualties…"

"People die in war…remember?" Ollie said. "You told me that on Corellia when I wanted to hunker down and fortify our defenses. It was you who noticed a weakness in the imperial formations and suggested a multifaceted attack on several fronts. You even convinced me to take a blaster bolt to the leg to infiltrate a fake hospital that housed the main shield generators." He walked over and placed a hand on the jedi's shoulder. "Don't forget that just because another friend has been lost to the enemy. We owe it to him to strike the demons hard and fast…not play it safe. We need to take advantage of the situation he left us with…a decimated enemy that is holed up in a bunker."

Demira walked over and placed her hand on Daneel's other shoulder. He looked at her as she looked up into his face with a warm smile. "He's right," she said quietly. "I know you are in pain…it doesn't take our bond to notice that. We've all noticed it."

He looked around to see the faces of the rest looking at him with concern. Had he become that single-minded? It seemed all he could think about the past few days was meeting the demonic army head-on…facing them with the others behind him for support but while he would be doing the bulk of the fighting and the demons falling one by one at his feet. "Kai?" he asked the other jedi master.

She looked at all of the rest before returning her gaze to her longtime friend. "Ollie's right, Daneel. As much as I hate to admit it…"

"Hey…" the smuggler protested.

"He does have a point," she continued. "I know you want to win this and keep the casualties to a minimum…we have to face the reality here. Shandris, Tyrande…even Lokar here…they've all told us what it was like facing this enemy before. There will be casualties no matter what precautions we take…and Ollie's plan might mean more in the short term, but it might also mean we end this conflict quickly which will save lives in the long run. The demons depend on that portal…even your vision showed you that…so let's take it out fast…then all they will have is what is left on this world and they cannot rebuild as they have in the past. Take out the portal and we stop the enemy from advancing in greater numbers."

"I…I need a moment to think," Daneel said quietly, turned around, and walked away from the table and towards the shore. Without a word, Demira followed her husband until they stood just at the edge of the surf. He looked out over the waters with his arms crossed over his chest while ocean spray showered him. Demira stood before him as her eyes searched his face. Finally after a few moments he looked down at her. "You agree with them, don't you," he stated not as a question but an observation.

The mage looked over her husband's shoulders to the stares of those they had just left at the table. Some, Like Kai'moira and Celeste, wore expressions of understanding while the others wore those of confusion. Olivaw was the only person to have walked from the table after the couple had left, and he paced not far from the others looking towards the interior of Desolace. Demira's gaze turned back at her husband and she took his hands into hers.

"For as long as I have known you…you strive to protect those around you…those close to you," she said quietly. "You've never lost someone close to you until your sister died…have you?"

Daneel looked up into the sky. "Our parents…I never really knew them or remember them," he started. "We were taken to the academy at so young an age that all I can remember of my youth was with the jedi. I was four and she was three…prodigies we were called…" He was silent for a moment and then he looked back to Demira's face. "I've lost friends before…training at the academy or during the conflict with the sith…"

"But she was the first you lost that was very close to you…family," she whispered.

Daneel nodded. "And I have always looked upon Dorak as a brother and especially after he told me of his marriage to my sister. Of all those I have known before coming to this world…they were the two that were actually very close to my heart," She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "You…Kitali and Zharn…Celeste…you are my family now…this world is my home. Before…I could travel to one world or the next…but I find myself now on a single world…and the happiest I have ever been and no desire to leave with a woman beside me closer to my heart than even my sister. Even Tython really held no feeling inside me like it was home…we relocated the order there after the sacking of Coruscant…but Azeroth…this is my home, Demira, and the first I have ever really had. These people…no matter what their allegiances are in the current war…they are all my neighbors…"

"And you want to protect them all if possible…I understand that," she added. "That is what attracted me to you in the first place…you tried to protect me from harm."

"You weren't in any danger then," Daneel said remembering the ranger that had fired an arrow at him that first day he arrived on the planet. He had assumed the arrow was meant for Demira, but he learned quickly otherwise.

"You didn't know that at the time…you thought you were protecting me…someone you didn't even really know. Then when you thought I was going to die you almost fell to the dark side…you convinced Kitali to reveal her true self to Zharn and look at how that turned out…they love each other more now than they ever did before that day up there…the same day you were willing to die to destroy a real threat to our world," she said pointing at the sky. Then she smiled and placed both hands on his cheeks. "You placed yourself in danger to shield Illiana and then Adaria against a foe that no sane person would try to face alone, but you did. Hon…as much as you want to…you can't protect everyone all of the time…sometimes we will face a foe that is more powerful than any you have faced…even on this single small world…and people will come into harm's way…it's unavoidable. I know you know this…you've fought in wars and battles on a scale I cannot fathom…this conflict is no different just because it's happening in our own backyard, so to speak."

"Then how do I stop the pain," he asked placing his hands on hers. "I can't turn off my feelings…I lived that way once, but I cannot do that again."

"I don't think there is a way," she whispered, "and I don't want you to stop feeling. Just…let us help you. You don't have to take on the weight of the world all by yourself…let them help you if only by listening to their suggestions…they care as much for this world and its people as you do, and they'll do their damnedest to try and save it just as you would. Let them also help make the decisions and carry the burden with you. Like you said…it's their world too…and their _home_."

Daneel kissed her hand and nodded. They returned to the table holding hands as they walked, and as they approached they noticed Kai'moira place a holocommunicator into a pouch at her waist. Olivaw was now leaning on the table while perusing the map of Desolace.

"I just got a short burst on the holo from Zharn," Kai'moira stated as Daneel and Demira stopped at the table next to the others. "It was distorted, but what I did get was that they found where Dorak died and no sign of the other two." She looked at the others and then Daneel. "He also said they have over thirty dragons at the Glade and then the message cut-off."

"Dragons in this fight will be quite formidable," Lokar added as he looked at the jedi. "I didn't know you had such powerful friends. I have no doubt now that what you said about the Burning Legion is true…and I agree with your friend with the horny head…the time to strike is now and on two fronts. We have a chance to stop this thing before it begins."

Daneel looked at Shandris who nodded her agreement with the orc leader. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Then that's what we should do…strike now…hard and fast. Kai...can you reestablish contact with Zharn?"

"No doing…the atmosphere in this place is playing havoc with comm signals…I'm surprised we got the message we did and I'm not certain he knows we received it."

Daneel looked around at the activity on the beach. "Where's Aeyrn?"

"Druids," Shandris stated following Daneel's thinking. "They can assume avian forms and fly to the others and inform them of our plans…to relay the message and have the others in the Glade begin their march towards the Coven."

"Might send some to Shadowprey Village also," Lokar added. "We have a few tauren druids with us…they could get the warriors at the village to march and add a third front to this battle."

"Will they trust the information?" the Sentinel General asked.

"They will…coming from us," he replied with a tusky smile. It reminded Daneel of Zharn's. "They've been edgy about the inactivity of Mannoroc Coven…we explain what we know now…they'll march. We all remember the last time the Legion came to this world and all of us have lost loved ones…they'll fight with us." Demira squeezed Daneel's hand tighter letting him know that what they had talked about was so very true just as the orc was explaining with his own words.

"There's one more thing," Olivaw stated drawing everyone's attention. "We still have at least four that are trapped out there." He pointed to the map nearest where they could tell Zharn stated they had found where Dorak had perished. "We don't leave anyone behind." He looked at Daneel. "Let me take Aeyrn and go find them. We can rendezvous with those from the Glade while they are en route to the Coven."

"How would you get there, Ollie?" Kai'moira asked. "He can't carry you all the way…you would exhaust him before you even reached half the distance." She looked at Daneel and Demira. "I understand we don't leave anyone behind, but Aeyrn can't leave here with an extra man and get that done…"

"Illiana is out there! And her mother and Grogg! And let's not forget Aeyrn's sister!" the smuggler shouted as he slammed his fists into the table.

Everyone jumped back except the jedi couple. Daneel looked into the knowing eyes of his wife. She was right, of course, in that everyone had a stake in this fight including the smuggler who was a stranger to this world. No matter what plans he strategized or efforts he made…he could not protect everyone. He thought back to the war on Corellia when he was separated from all of his friends and allies as he sought the First Son of the Emperor. Not until he had finished his task had he thought about the others and if they were alive and successful just as he was and by then Olivaw and Dorak had already left the surface on their respective missions. He remembered focusing on the bigger picture of the war and the steps needed to change the course of the conflict to their favor…they each had a role to play and were all prepared to die to succeed. Looking at the faces around him now reminded him of that world and that situation from many years before. Had Master Satele Shan stressed herself about their survival as he did now about those with him? If she had, none of them ever saw her express that anxiety or show any deviation from staying the course during the conflict. An epiphany struck him, and he knew the secret to her calm during that crisis and it was something in the past couple of weeks he had forgotten. He looked at the others and then smiled at Demira.

"I have lost sight of something very important for a jedi to remember," he started. All eyes looked to him. "It took this meeting to remind me of this central belief to the jedi...something that I think can help all of us at this time."

"There is no emotion, there is peace," Kai'moira said to his side. "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death…"

"There is the Force," Daneel said completing the jedi code. He looked down into Demira's eyes. "I have focused so much on trying to save everyone that I lost sight of the big picture. I would face this enemy alone if I knew I could succeed and save all who live on this world…a world that I call my home." He looked up and at each person around the table as he spoke next. "But now I realize that we are all here and willing to die to protect those we love. Losses in my own life…my own pain…blinded me to what was important…that I am not the only one that has suffered and the burden is not just mine to bear. We all have a stake in the outcome of this upcoming battle…and we all have a role to play in it." He now looked at the Zabrak. "Ollie…you will stay with us." He raised his hand before the smuggler could object. "Kai is right…and Aeyrn has as much a stake in finding his sister and the others as you do. I need you here…_we_ need you here. Your experience as a soldier…your knowledge of military tactics…we need you with us."

"I'll find Aeyrn," Celeste said as she turned to leave the group.

"Fine…I'll stay here," Olivaw grumbled. "But if you want my military tactics…here's the first thing I would do besides what we've already decided."

"That is?" Shandris asked.

"Split those dragons up into three groups…some stay there…some with us…and some with the group in that village Lokar mentioned. Air support from all angles will prove an advantage and might help facilitate communication since the comms are unreliable."

"I like him," the orc said to the tauren to his side as he nodded towards Olivaw.

* * *

Kuro flew just below the cloud ceiling so that she could see the ground easier, but even with her heightened dragon eyesight spotting the two padawans proved difficult assuming they were still alive. She spent as much time sensing and avoiding the frequent lightning strikes from the clouds as she did looking for Illiana and Grogg. The fact that both were last seen wearing darker robes and armoring made the search that much harder. She also assumed the padawans would travel directly for the last known location of Raeva, but Kuro knew she could not make too many assumptions and flew in a zigzag pattern over the barren landscape in case they were forced into a more indirect path. What normally would have taken minutes in flight time for her now stretched to several hours and still no sign of Illiana or Grogg. All she could see in every direction was miles and miles of barren land dotted with husks of trees and residual plant life. Kodo bones littered the ground where some had fallen and died often in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. Winds constantly howled so she could not hear much, and they destroyed what footprints might have been left by the two padawans in the soft and loose soil.

After another hour she spotted a single living tree rising high into the sky. Hoping that at least Adaria and Raeva might be there, she banked towards the only sign of life in this desolate place. As she flew nearer she finally spotted the elf and orc some four hundred yards from the tree, and they were walking directly towards it. Her heart raced as she descended to contact them, but then an eerie sensation pricked the edge of her awareness. Turning her head to look towards Mannoroc Coven, she realized she had not seen a single demon during her flight but something nefarious was happening close by. Again she banked but this time towards the Coven as she picked up speed. What was happening in that region? She had told the others she would find the padawans, and thankfully she had done just that and was certain they would reach the tree within the hour.

As she crossed the roadway that bordered the Coven the darkness seemed to intensify although she knew that was not possible. Darkness was darkness and only light sources could change, but the winds and lightning never diminished or increased. Her attention was suddenly drawn to a reflection of metal on the ground during one of the electric discharges. Curious of what the object could be, she descended to land near the reflection and transformed to her human form. Scanning the area around her, Kuro was surrounded by trunks of long dead trees and thorny bushes devoid of greenery. Under one of these she found the source of the reflection she spotted from the air. It was a metal cylinder about the size of a sword hilt, and Kuro knew instantly what it was…Raeva's lightsaber. She deftly reached through the branches of the prickly bush and snatched the hilt from the ground. Holding it as she looked around her, she knew this was the spot where Raeva had fallen ill, but to leave her lightsaber behind meant that it was more than a simple illness that caused her the intense pain the jedi masters had sensed…the woman fought something in this place and lost. Carrying the weapon in her hand, she walked quietly further into the coven examining the ground and dead foliage for clues to what had transpired.

Suddenly a foul odor almost overwhelmed her. Having no real need to stay, she transformed back into her dragon form and quickly launched into flight. What she spied not far from her almost caused her to falter…thousands of demons roamed the region moving indirectly towards the others and would reach the padawans within an hour. The lightsaber hilt now in her paw, she gripped it tightly and flew as quickly as she could back to the tree near where she had seen Illiana and Grogg earlier. Above the winds she could hear the shouts and rants of the demons behind her…she had been spotted. How well they could see her black shape in the dark sky she did not know, but she also could not stay behind to find out. The jedi were now in immediate danger, and she had to get them out of the region before the demons arrived. Within minutes she was back at the tree and as she descended to land she noticed the two padawans had surprisingly made quicker time than she originally guessed. The beat of her wings alerted the orc and elven jedi to her presence as well as a kaldorei woman near what looked like a crude wheeled cart. Grogg stood beside the night elf while Illiana knelt next to the litter. As Kuro touched down she transformed to her human form once again and walked directly to the orc.

"We have to get out of here now!" she said as she approached.

"How did you find us?" Grogg asked. Kuro stepped next to him and now could see that Raeva lay unconscious and face down on the flat surface of the cart. Her exposed back was scarred and bloody yet sporadically covered with patches of clothing and green leaves from the tree. Illiana looked up to the dragon but made no move to stand as her left hand held that of her mother.

"No time to discuss that now," she responded. "Demons are moving this way and will be here soon." She looked at the night elf. "You are Adaria, correct?"

"I remember you," she replied to the dragon. "Yes…I am Adaria. My brother and I found Raeva near the edge of Mannoroc Coven like she is now. A poison…"

"We can discuss that later," Kuro said interrupting her. "Priority is to get all of you out of this place." She looked at the litter and then back at Grogg and Adaria. "I cannot carry all of you…we must choose who stays and who goes and quickly."

"You have to take Mother," Illiana said finally standing.

"Can she be moved?" Kuro asked. "Upon my back will be precarious in her condition. I could carry her in my paws, but that would be a much rougher journey and could injure her further."

"Illiana can hold her in place while you fly," Grogg offered. "Adaria and I can then follow on foot."

"NO!" Illiana shouted. She walked over to stand before the orc. "You must go with mother. You have to…Master Dorak said you were the only one who could heal her."

Kuro looked back towards the Coven and sniffed the air. "Choose quickly…our time is running short. They are advancing on this place much faster than I anticipated."

"How much time?" the druid asked.

"Half hour…maybe less," the black dragon answered. "We must leave…now."

Illiana took Grogg by the shoulders and turned him to face her. "You go with Mother," she pleaded. "Adaria and I can make faster time than she could with you. You outweigh me by at least a hundred pounds, and in the form of a saber she can carry me much more easily than you."

"She is right in this," Adaria added to their side. "And you are a healer which is what Raeva needs right now. Neither Illiana nor I can help her with this illness. You should go with her and Kuro…only you can save her life now."

Kuro changed back into her dragon form and lay on the ground as flat as she could. "The choice is made. Grogg…climb up while the women bring Raeva over. I will try to fly as straight and true as possible, but you must hold her tightly."

"I understand, Kuro," Grogg answered as he left the side of the elves and placed a foot on the bent right forepaw of the dragon. "Glad you arrived when you did."

"Me too," she answered with a toothy smile.

He climbed up and straddled the base of Kuro's neck as the women carried the unconscious form of Raeva. Grogg leaned over the help lift the elf up before him. The smell of the wound was horrible, but despite what pain she must be enduring; Raeva made no sound…not even a moan. He draped as much of his robes as he could over her body, and with a nod to the dragon he indicated they were ready. Kuro stood up on her four legs and spread her wings. Looking down at Illiana she held out her paw. With a curious expression, the elven jedi reached out and accepted the metal cylinder Kuro offered. Recognizing what she held, Illiana looked up into the eyes of the black dragon.

"I found it just before I found the demons coming this way," she said to the elf. "I figured you might want your mother's weapon." And with that she leapt into the air and quickly took flight from the area.

Holding the hilt, Illiana joined Adaria as they watched the dragon fly from their sight. After they were gone, she looked back down at the lightsaber that had belonged first to her father and then to her mother. The metal was cold in her hand. When she felt the touch of Adaria on her shoulder, she looked into the compassionate face of the kaldorei.

"You mother's?" she asked.

"My…my father's," Illiana answered.

With an understanding nod, Adaria lowered to her hands and knees and looked up at the jedi. "Time for us to leave as well…climb on, Illiana." After the druid transformed into a frostsaber, the jedi did as her companion asked, and soon they too left the area just moments before the demons arrived to destroy the only remaining living tree.


	14. Escalation

**_Part Fourteen: Escalation_**

Tariolstrasz and Vethsera were joined in patrolling flights by ten other dragons over the skies of Karnum's Glade and the surrounding region of the Cenarion Wildlands. For these two specifically the hope was to spy Kuro's approach with news from the south after she had parted with the former red and green Aspects and the two shamans, Kitali and Zharn. Despite of the tumultuous history their flights had with the black flight, the red and green worried about their friend. Kuro, in their eyes, was more than simply a black dragon or one of their kind who had joined the mortals in their jedi order; she was as a sister to Vethsera and more to Tariolstrasz. When they finally did see her, Kuro was flying so fast that when she streaked past them her physical exertion was painfully obvious. They followed as best they could, but her momentum was much faster than they expected, and when they caught up to her she had already landed in Karnum's Glade and surrounded by a throng of druids, shamans, and dragons in humanoid forms assisting the orc and elf that had been riding her back. Once the jedi were clear, the black spoke only two words "Move back!" Once the mortals were clear of her, Kuro was back in the air and heading south again and flying past Tariolstrasz and Vethsera. The black said nothing to them, just simply kept flying at tremendous speed in the direction she had come from. The two dragons turned quickly, but almost lost sight of their friend as she sped southward. When they did catch her, the scene below immediately told them why the black dragon had been so urgent in departing the Glade. Thousands of demons marched rapidly in the direction of the druid haven and at the front of that horde some surrounded two elven women.

For her part, Illiana never heard or saw the dragons approach. After Kuro departed with Grogg and her mother, Adaria ran swiftly through the barren wasteland with the jedi on her back. They could hear the crashing of dead trees and roars of demons as the army gained on them, but neither expected the attack from their flank when an eredar and two felhounds pounced from their left. One beast crashed into the jedi's side and knocked her from the back of the druid. The second felhound swiped at her in passing with its massive forepaw and split the hilt of her saberstaff in thirds with its claws. Now her weapon sparked in ruin on the ground near her feet, and the only one she had left was the single bladed lightsaber of her father. The metal of the hilt was cold in her hand, and her thumb massaged the activation contact as she watched the two felhounds circle around her. The eredar pursued Adaria through the woods as the druid leapt over a fallen tree and out of Illiana's sight. Her breathing calm, the jedi moved to her left countering the two felhounds. The lightsaber's blade still extinguished as she held it in her right hand, the jedi prepared to do something she never thought she would in her lifetime…use the weapon of the one man she hated most in the world. Her thumb moved the contact, and time stood still. The two felhounds froze in their stalking, and between them the apparition of him approached. A thin man with red skin, moppy black hair, and withered facial tendrils walked between the demons towards her, the white and gold robes he wore did not flow with his movements. He even had the audacity to smile at her. Her hand gripped the hilt of the lightsaber tighter, and to her astonishment the hilt was no longer cold.

"Let go of your hatred, my daughter," he said to her. "It will lead you down the path of ruin as it did me."

"You…of all people…lecture _me_ about hatred?" she asked, her voice quivering with unbridled fury. "How could you send me to that monster?! Your own _daughter_?!"

"I regret that decision, my child," the ghost replied. "I was too weak to protect you or your mother. I was blinded to the option I should have taken. Instead…I failed you both."

"LIES!"

"It is not a lie," the ghost of Narcis answered with hands clasped at his waist. "Where was a being like me supposed to go? No one on this world has red skin like I…there was no safe haven to escape to with both of you in tow. Thera'gon's jealousy would have meant your death…or a fate worse than any Drakus could have given you. I chose the lesser of two evils."

"You chose wrong!" she spat at him with the humming blade still at her side as she fought the desire to cleave him in half even if he was only an apparition. He had abandoned her to be raised by a hateful monster whose only delight in the later stages of his life was to torture her both physically and mentally. "You should have tried harder!"

"You're right, child."

Illiana stood breathless. Did he just say what she thought she heard? Not possible. Not from this man…not her father…the one who never acknowledged she existed…never tried to contact her while he lived…never said he was sorry for what he had done to her. This had to be a trick of her mind….wishful thinking at the time of death. The felhounds must be devouring her flesh at this very second.

"The blade in your hand is why we are talking now," he said calmly to her. "In my final days I transferred what I had left into this weapon…this tool…in the hopes that someday you would activate it…and in doing so activate this last chance to say I am sorry for failing you."

She looked at him and then to the ground. The felhounds in her vision still hung frozen behind him. "You're sorry…like I am supposed to believe you planned this? Thera'gon possessed this blade until I killed him. Then mother wielded it until just days ago…how come you never visited her? How come you never told _her_ this?"

"Because you are all that is left of my kind on this world, and I intended this only for you," he answered. "Drakus never agreed with me, but I knew that he would also never take your life as honor bound as he was to me. He thought I was insane for taking a woman from this world to impregnate with a child. He would have sooner seen our species extinct than father an offspring with the mixed blood of what he perceived as a lesser species. But he didn't know your mother…not like I did. I loved her, my daughter. I loved your mother and I loved you although I never knew how to express it. I don't expect you to believe me now…you may never believe it…but I can hope that someday you might. I am gone from this world…this last vestige of my essence is all that remains and only for this last message to you. Do not let your anger for me or Drakus or anyone darken your soul. Do not let the dark side consume you as it did me. Seeing your mother when you were born…during my final days and looking back at that moment I realized that perhaps the jedi were right about us. Power in the Force is not about bending others to your will…dominating the weaker beings because you can….power in the Force was there in your mother's arms…it was in you as a newborn…life…that is power…to give life and have it give back. Seeing you this day, my daughter, I am proud of what you are…a jedi struggling to protect those who cannot protect themselves. When all this is done they will love you and not because you threaten them with death if they do not…they will love you because you gave them that which others tried to take away…their lives. I regret that I never understood that until my final days. I regret that I could not spare you the agony of the life I left you…one of a sith acolyte under the tutelage of a brutal master or of one under the obsessive mind of a madman in Thera'gon. I should have taken you and your mother and gone into seclusion far from either man and for my weakness in doing nothing I failed you both." His image began to fade from her vision. "Do not repeat my mistakes, my daughter. Embrace the light…give up your hatred. You…my beautiful child…are more than I could have ever imagined…and I am so proud of you…my sweet _elven_ daughter…my Illiana."

For what seemed like hours she watched as the ghost dissipated. She could not believe what she had heard for it was not close to matching her perception of her father. She never actually met the man who had abandoned her and so she hated him for leaving her in the hands of Drakus, but as her eyes wandered to the hilt in her hand…as warm to her touch as her own saberstaff…she questioned her own beliefs at that moment. However, her revelry was short-lived as time returned to normal when the ghost disappeared completely. The felhounds continued their circling of her position and snarled at her. Her grip tightened on the hilt as she calmed her breathing. Suddenly a peaceful feeling consumed her and she opened herself to it fully embracing the light side of the Force for the first time in her life. Time seemed to slow again, but not as before. She felt no emotion as the Force flowed through her and she became its conduit. The elven jedi had reached a precognitive state where she could anticipate the movement of each hound, see the shatterpoints of their bodies to quickly end this particular battle, and she reacted to intercept them with lightning speed. Within seconds the felhounds lay dead at her feet as she stood triumphantly over their bodies, but she did not let pride overtake her or waste the time to dwell on what had just happened with the apparition of her father. Adaria was still eluding the eredar, and with a look to her right she sensed the druid now in her normal form facing the demon. Opening herself completely to the Force, Illiana sped through the dead trees to surprise the eredar and drive the blade of her lightsaber between its shoulder blades. As the body of the demon fell to the ground, three dragons landed a short distance away. Both druid and jedi recognized Kuro instantly, and without a word they jumped onto the backs of the other two dragons, one a red and one a green. Before either could count to ten they were high in the air and speeding towards Karnum's Glade leaving the demonic army behind them for the moment.

* * *

Upon departing the beaches of Sar'theris Strand, the army led by Daneel split into three equally sized columns of about two hundred beings of assorted disciplines. Alliance and Horde races mixed together as all set aside their prejudices for this strike against a common enemy, the Burning Legion. Daneel remained at the center in the middle column accompanied by Demira and Tyrande. Their course would lead them to the heart of Mannoroc Coven which the jedi master hoped would get them close to the location of the portal used by the demonic army. The two outlying columns would travel slightly variant courses aimed at leading them to the edges of the Coven, but never out of eyeshot of the center column. Should they encounter surprise resistance, Daneel wanted to maintain at least one column of reinforcements for the other two. Celeste led the left column on a more easterly course with draenei general Veira and the orc warrior Lokar at her sides. The right and southern column was led by Kai'moira, Shandris, and Cheyuun. Although Olivaw travelled with this latter group, he commanded six druids that stayed in avian form most of the time and flew with communiqués between the columns and Karnum's Glade. Their first group of messengers, led by Aeyrn, had yet to return with any news from the druid enclave, but he was certain they could add a second front to this conflict. Conservative estimates placed their number at three to four hundred, and the smuggler was hopeful this would prove sufficient against the enemy whose numbers as yet were undetermined.

As she walked with her column, Celeste floated a rock above her hand. For the past day she sensed from Grogg not pain and sorrow, but great anxiety which coupled with her own only served to distract her from their mission. She had faith in the Force that they would reunite soon, and that feeling she held close to her heart. Floating the rock was more an exercise to distract her from concentrating on the emotions she felt from the man she loved…a trick she learned from Demira. When this crisis ended, they would have the time to ease into the sensation of feeling the other's emotions so that intense ones like she felt during the previous few days would not cripple the other. She understood now why the jedi order in Daneel's home galaxy frowned on emotional attachments. Without the proper training and guidance, the bond in the Force between two lovers could endanger the sanity of one or both. Thankfully Demira was close when Grogg's mourning echoed in her own heart. Had the elder mage not been on the same ship when those emotions overwhelmed her, Celeste worried what might have happened to her.

The jedi didn't notice that Lokar and Veira watched her closely. For the orc it was in admiration as he watched the rock float above her small hand. He knew that she at one time had apprenticed under the same man that easily defeated him on the beach in their first encounter, and their abilities would mean a great deal towards achieving a victory against the demons. She was also very tiny even for a human, but in no way would he presume to underestimate her power. The day before, after their meeting at the table discussing strategy, he had observed the three called jedi practice their techniques with each other in sparring matches. Their leader, Daneel, was a fierce warrior in the orc's eyes and he knew firsthand what their weapons could do. However, where Daneel wielded a weapon with a single blade, this small human's had two and in no way did Lokar ever want to be on the receiving end of one of her attacks. Of the three, in his opinion, she was the more capable fighter with a blade. Another surprise was that she did not hate orcs like most humans. In fact, she was warm and welcoming when his group joined theirs and quite open that two of her closest friends were also of his race.

For the draenei general she watched Celeste in fascination. Veira was an experienced paladin being one of the survivors from the war with the orcs on Draenor. Wearing full plate armor with navy blue skin and white flowing hair that fell to her shoulders, she led the contingent of draenei at the request of Velen. After the incident on the beach, she approached Shandris Feathermoon with her own apprehensions about the alliance with the horde group and especially the orcs. During that conversation she learned a great deal about these jedi from the Sentinel General of the night elves. Like the draenei, these jedi served the light despite that they called it something different or at least that was how she perceived their beliefs. After this battle with the Burning Crusade she might ask Velen for further enlightenment, but as she watched the jedi float the rock above her hand she noticed how effortlessly the human performed this act. She coordinated with druids when they arrived, walked at the same pace as the rest of the column, and yet still the rock never wavered as it floated mere inches above her palm. Such concentration was almost unheard of in most disciplines or she was extremely gifted, Veira was unsure of which or both. She thought about asking the diminutive human about this when a raven approached from the east and landed about twenty yards ahead of them before transforming into a night elf. He waited for the three of them to approach before speaking to the jedi.

"A large army marches towards the Glade," the kaldorei druid stated to Celeste. "I arrived at the compound just before a black dragon arrived, offloaded an orc and a wounded high elven woman, and then the black took off again followed closely by a red and a green."

"The orc…was he called Grogg?" Celeste asked with her hands clasped at her chest as the rock fell to the ground. Both Veira and Lokar looked at her noting the concern in her voice. "And the woman…did she have red hair?"

"Yes to both," the druid answered calmly. "This Grogg stated they had just escaped from an encroaching army of thousands of demons marching towards the Wildlands. Two were left behind because the black could not carry them all and was why it turned and left without word. As for the woman, the ones named Kitali and Zharn helped the other take the woman into a shelter and then moments later several druid and shaman healers joined them. I remained until the draenei woman returned and bade me bring you this news. They cannot march with the army approaching and are building fortifications in preparation. The dragons have elected to stay as well. Ysera said you and your leader would understand why."

Celeste nodded to the druid. "And Grogg…was he unhurt?"

"He did not appear injured," he answered. "Though…I never saw him leave the shelter before I left."

"You…you should report this to Daneel in the center column," Celeste replied with a nod.

The druid responded in kind before transforming back into a raven and was back in the air within seconds and flying towards the jedi grand master. Lokar stared after the druid as he processed this latest information while Veira cocked her head to the side as she watched the jedi. Veira knew Kitali and of her marriage to the orc, Zharn. That union disturbed her, but she could not fault Kitali for her feelings or the orc because both had been born after that war between their races on that far off world. She didn't have the memories of seeing loved ones butchered nor did he suffer from the bloodlust of his ancestors who did the butchering. This human's concern regarding the condition of the orc named Grogg led the draenei to only one conclusion.

"This orc…the one named Grogg," she started drawing Celeste's and Lokar's attentions. "He is special to you…yes?"

"He is the padawan of Master Daneel," Celeste answered.

"I think it is more than that," the draenei replied. "You care for him on a more personal level…like Kitali cares for that Zharn." The human gaped at her. "Yes…I know…or I _knew_ Kitali. Before she lost her way and married an orc. She is my child."

"A draenei and an orc…married?" Lokar asked in shock.

"Yes…they are married and very happy," Celeste retorted before turning on the draenei general. "And they do not care what _anyone_ thinks of their union…just like I do not care what anyone thinks about my love for Grogg. Yes…I love an orc…shocked?" Veira just squinted at her. "When you look upon him you may only see his green skin…the tusks…but I do not see that when I look at him…I see him as a being of pure light in the Force…it flows through him and around him…his connection to life is beautiful to behold." She looked now at Lokar who was in shock. A human professing a love for one of his kind? Unthinkable. "He has never taken a life…never…nor does he ever desire to. Grogg is a healer at heart...and I am glad he is safe in Karnum's Glade…and that woman…if anyone can save her life it's him…I can sense it through the Force…I know it." She turned her back on them and looked in the direction of Karnum's Glade. "Now I understand the frustration Kitali and Zharn feel. I understand and accept it. Stay safe, Grogg…stay safe until I can reach you."

Lokar and Veira looked at each other. "How long you suppose she's been holding that in?" he asked her.

"Perhaps…perhaps too long," the draenei general answered as she looked back at the human gazing towards Karnum's Glade where her love faced peril with the demons approaching. The same place where her child and her orc spouse would share a similar fate should the demons attack. She had not seen Kitali in years and not since before she married the orc shaman. What she remembered was that she loved her daughter still, and if she was as dedicated to her love as this human, then perhaps it was this younger generation that could heal the old wounds that older ones like herself could not conceive of even trying to begin. Veira looked back at the orc who was there with them to fight the Burning Crusade despite the history between their races. "Too long," she said quietly.

* * *

By the time the druid reached Daneel with the news from Karnum's Glade, the southern column happened across an army of about fifteen hundred demons. Sentinels launched arrows as shamans called upon the elements for favorable winds and lightning strikes. Druids, some feral in animal forms and others calling upon what natural life remained, attacked the first line of felhounds and ered'ruin. In the first wave over a hundred demons fell dead, but on their side three were wounded and two more slain in the counterattacks by the ered'ruin and eredar. Kai'moira enlisted the help of several druid healers behind the front lines to bring the wounded to the rear of the column where she began using the Force to heal their injuries. Cheyuun, wearing golden plate armor that was a gift from one of the draenei, charged in with the druids and additional paladins and swung his four-bladed halberd with deadly accuracy. At the end of the first wave he stood upon a pile of twenty corpses of felhounds that were foolish enough to challenge him. However, as quickly as the initial encounter started it ended as the demons pulled back to a position almost three hundred yards from the allied column.

"Back to the line!" Olivaw shouted to the druids and warriors who had advanced when they first met the army. He walked over to stand beside Shandris who was lowering her bow and counting the arrows in her quiver. Cheyuun returned to join them with ichor dripping from the blades of his halberd. The smuggler looked at the tauren and said, "Get the other melee fighters and keep them back until I say the word."

Cheyuun nodded without comment and moved to gather the other warriors, paladins, and feral druids. Shandris looked at the Zabrak with a nod. "Got something in mind?"

"Why pull back?" he asked as he removed his pack and lowered it to the ground. "They had the element of surprise and we didn't hurt 'em that much…they still outnumber us at least six to one."

"I think we surprised them as much as they surprised us," she responded as she notched another arrow. "But they won't wait long. My guess…they are assessing our numbers and where we might have reinforcements."

"Then let's give 'em something else to think about," he said as he pulled two metallic orbs each about the size of a large apple from the bag. They were silver in color and smooth on the surface except for one raised piece on what she assumed was the upper half of the sphere. He looked at Shandris and gave her a lopsided smile. "How far can you throw something like this?" he asked handing one to her.

"I think I can reach their second line," she answered as she hefted the orb in her right hand. "What is it?"

"It's called a thermal detonator…a grenade with a very big boom," he said holding his up. "I figured with those long arms of yours you might be able to reach 'em."

The Sentinel General's eyes lit up as she placed her bow on the ground at her feet. "How does it work?" she asked as she straightened.

"See that knob about where my thumb would go…I mean with your hands it's a little small," he grinned. She nodded as she placed her own thumb on the raised contact switch. "Ok…now push that forward until you hear it click. A red light will show on the side…count to ten and then throw it at 'em."

"Simple enough," she said as she pushed the contact forward. After hearing the click and the red light started flashing near her thumb, she counted. "One…..two….."

"Count faster," Olivaw told her.

"Three….four…."

"Faster."

"Five…six…"

"Throw the damn thing!" he shouted.

She threw the grenade and watched as it soared and then land ten feet in front of the first demon line. Their heads turned to watch it as it rolled between their legs and stop at about the third row. One eredar reached over to pick up the thermal detonator as Shandris looked over at the smuggler. "Maybe it was faulty?" she asked just before the sound of the explosion ripped through the air. She turned back to see a massive fireball and the bodies of about fifty demons flying through the air including the eredar who picked up the grenade. She looked back at the smuggler as a feral grin crossed her lips to see him offering her another detonator.

"This time…throw it when I do," he said to which she acknowledged with a nod. Shandris watched and mimicked his movements as he activated the miniature bomb. " . . . . .throw!"

The grenades flew towards the demon line as they tried to scramble out of the way. Shandris' exploded just before them while still in the air while Olivaw's rolled on the ground and detonated under their feet. Although this time the detonation only took out about forty of the demons, the explosion was loud enough to catch the attention of the other two columns. The druid's report to Daneel, Demira, and Tyrande was interrupted while Celeste, Veira, and Lokar heard the explosion just at the end of their conversation. Back at the third column, Shandris reached out to the smuggler for another grenade, but he only shook his head with a wide grin.

"Sorry, sister, but I have only two of those left and we might want 'em for a more desperate circumstance," he said as he pulled his blasters from their holsters and spun them on his fingers. "Now the real fun begins." With a nod she lowered to pick up her bow while he looked over to what he assumed was a grinning Cheyuun. "Boys!" he shouted. "Go get 'em!"

* * *

Grogg floated between cells in Raeva's body. Unlike the healthy cells of his where they split to reproduce and dead cells were consumed as was the natural cycle of life, the elf's cells were stuck in a state of flux where they were neither living nor dying. Strange green objects moved around from cell to cell zapping each with some sort of green electricity the orc healer was unfamiliar with. When he first arrived in this ethereal form, he tried to manipulate one of these green globs with no success. With more effort he ascertained that the electricity halted the normal functions of the cells which affected those around the assaulted one. Damaged cells from the attack could not heal or die, those in the process of splitting were caught in stasis, and worse was that dead cells were left unconsumed and yet also would not decay further. He shook his head as he wondered at what purpose there was for these foreign bodies. Calming himself he stretched out with the Force to closely examine the structure of one of the green intruders. It did not repel him so that told him it was not arcane in nature. Delving further into the object he passed through the membrane and into its core. What he discovered horrified him. Inside the object was a DNA chain that looked eerily familiar to his own…corrupted. These were Raeva's own cells! Two chromosomes had been altered just enough to make some of her cells mutate into these globs that acted to halt her bodily functions. But could he change the chromosomes in her body? When he tried to perform a similar act in his own body the Force rejected his efforts, but he could see no way to heal Raeva without returning these cells to their natural state and that meant altering the current DNA strands. His ethereal form inhaled deeply as he reached out his hand. Calming his nerves and calling on all of his knowledge of the Force, he touched the chromosome that had been altered when Raeva was attacked. He felt no resistance as he manipulated the object in his mind. With a few more adjustments the cell lost its green coloring and stopped firing the green electricity into nearby cells. As he exited the newly healed body and looked around, he sighed deeply. He would have to perform this same procedure on each affected cell first before he could restart those stuck in stasis. This was going to be a long and arduous process, but at least now he knew the solution and could heal this woman. Soon afterwards, multiple copies of his ethereal form traversed through the elf's body performing the same procedure on all the green and corrupted cells they could find.

* * *

Illiana sat cross-legged beside the bed where her mother lay with Grogg kneeling on the opposite side with his hands steepled at his chest. A golden glow enveloped both him and Raeva as a sign of his deep healing trance as he struggled to purge the poisons from her body. Kitali stood in the doorway of the shelter watching Illiana hold her mother's hand. A small smile crossed her lips as she noticed the marked change in the elven Force sensitive. Since last seeing her, the draenei saw not the self-hating padawan but now a much more peaceful jedi knight. Illiana said nothing about what happened when she returned with Adaria, Kuro, Tariolstrasz, and Vethsera. Instead she came directly to this room and had remained at her mother's side for the past hour. The shaman knew most of what happened from what the druid reported; that they were beset by demons and that at least three surprised them just before the dragons arrived. Illiana, apparently, had killed all three without much effort, but even Adaria noted she saw a much different demeanor in the elf afterwards than when the two padawans first arrived at the tree where she hid with Raeva. Kitali turned her head when Zharn arrived at her side as she watched the padawan healer.

"Dragons spotted the army about ten miles out and moving this way fast," he said quietly to his wife. He reached an arm around her waist. "They will be here soon."

"How many?" she asked as she looked back at the other three jedi.

"Hard to know for certain…maybe a few thousand," he answered. "We only have about four hundred left here not counting the dragons. Figure they outnumber us ten to one."

Kitali closed her eyes and sighed before looking into the concerned face of her husband. "Any word of where Daneel's army is?" Zharn shook his head and buried his face in her shoulder while watching the other orc. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed again. "I wonder if it was like this for others that first met the Legion. Did they have the impending sense of doom just before the demons arrived?"

"They are turning," Illiana said without looking at the shamans. Her eyes fluttered as she looked at her mother.

"What the…" Zharn started as he looked at the elf.

"Shhh…don't disturb her," his wife whispered with a finger on his lips. "I think she's using that sight thing."

A quiet stillness suddenly permeated the room as everyone, with the exception of Grogg, now focused their attention on the jedi. "They answer their master's call…they are heading west to meet him," she said cryptically.

"Where is the master?" Kitali asked.

Illiana sat silent for a few moments. Beads of sweat formed on many foreheads of kaldorei, tauren, even dragons as they awaited her response to the draenei's question. Several wrung their hands hoping for good news. Finally she turned her head towards Kitali with her eyes still fluttering as she spoke. "Somewhere around twenty miles to the west…Daneel's army advances." Gasps and muted cheers sounded in the room. "They march in three columns towards the south and east. The southern column has already engaged the enemy…casualties on both sides…" The room filled with murmurs, and at least three left the shelter to spread the word to the rest waiting outside. "The demonic master approaches the battle…he senses our grand master…"

"How many? How many are marching towards Daneel's army, Illiana?" Zharn asked.

"Difficult to count…so much activity…five thousand…six thousand…all with a singular purpose…they hunt for Master Daneel…" the elf's voice trailed off.

"Sargeras knows about Daneel and sees him as a threat…like he did with Malfurion millennia ago in the first war," Kitali said looking at her husband. "And with the army that was marching here joined with them…"

"They will be overwhelmed," he answered as he released his hug of her waist. Looking at a nearby tauren druid he said, "Inform Alexstrasza and Ysera that the demons march on Daneel's position. If they ask how we know just tell them…tell them a jedi told us…they'll understand." The tauren nodded and left without word. He spoke next to a kaldorei druid close by. "You…alert everyone in the compound that we march within the hour…the time has come to make a stand. With any luck we'll catch the nearest demon army unawares." He too nodded and left to carry out the orc shaman's commands.

"This could be a very foolish action, Zharn," Kitali said to him not caring who heard her. "Our few hundred against a few thousand…Light help us if we're wrong on this."

"I'm more inclined at this moment to rely on a saying that Ollie told me," he replied with a smile. "May fortune favor the foolish."


	15. There is No Harmony, There is Chaos

**_Part Fifteen: There is No Harmony, There is Chaos_**

The ten foot wide ball of energy bowled over twenty felhounds and eredar before dissipating. Half of those impacted instantly disintegrated to ash while the rest were severely injured as they writhed in agony on the ground. An ered'ruin standing near them charged the person who threw the energy ball, and as it approached a violet blade of pure energy pierced the bottom of its chin and exited the top of its skull. The small human continued through her jump up and over the falling body of the demon to land facing thirty more slobbering spittle on the ground in anticipation. Celeste tightened her grip on the hilt of her saberstaff as she dug her left heel into the ground. Within minutes after the explosion coming from near the southern column, the druid returned with orders from Daneel to reinforce that group that had engaged a contingent of demons. Veira had just given the order to the rest of their column when a larger army of demons crested a hill about six hundred yards ahead and between their column and Daneel's. Upon seeing the jedi's army, the demonic horde roared battle cries as they ran directly towards the middle. Celeste wasted no time in changing the orders to her group and they moved to reinforce the grand master's column. That was twenty minutes ago and now both were separated despite all efforts of Celeste, Veira, and Lokar to move their troops towards the center. The jedi could not see Daneel, Demira, or any member of their column through the wall of bodies fighting between them let alone know what was happening with the southern column. Whoever led the opposition was well versed in tactics having further divided the jedi's forces. Since then, from her perspective, the battle had degraded into pure pandemonium. Celeste, however, would not submit to desperation. With the Force flowing through her, she advanced on the thirty demons before her at a pace faster than most could comprehend. The average bystander could only see a blur of brown and yellow shielded by a whirlwind of violet energy that mowed through the thirty. Some ran over those next to them as they tried to escape the violet propeller while others never realized what befell them as their corpses started to litter the ground. In minutes the small human crouched leaning to her right with her weapon held close to her left side as she perused the carnage from her attack. None of the thirty remained alive. But while the space immediately near her was vacant, more demons approached from all directions and within a few breaths she launched into another vicious attack on the closest group.

Not far from the small jedi woman, Lokar held his own against five felhounds. After his larger axe was destroyed by Daneel during their first meeting, the orc warrior now fought with two smaller axes wielding one in each hand. He was as proficient in dual weapon combat as he was with the great two-handed axe, but as the battle intensified he preferred the smaller blades in the close quarters fighting. The bulk of his body and armor did not hinder his speed or movement as demon after demon fell to his axes, and Lokar's deadly precision with his cuts never endangered his allies. This last fact was very apparent to Veira as she fought nearby with her great crystal-headed hammer. Where the orc would block with his left axe while spinning beneath his opponent to eviscerate it with his right, the draenei crushed skulls and cracked bones with the might of her weapon in grand swooping swings. Dwarves for millennia were proud of their prowess with mighty hammers, and this day many would find themselves jealous of the accuracy and power of the paladin's blows.

But not all of the bodies on the ground were those of demons. A group of felhounds had engaged several feral druids in saber cat form and at least two of them perished in that struggle. A shaman called forth a howling wind that was short-lived when an eredar encased the tauren in ice and just afterwards an infernal crashed into her, shattering the woman into hundreds of pieces. The stench of the battlefield assaulted the senses of all those present as gore, blood, and the bowel movements of the dying slickened the ground beneath their feet. The sounds of the clashing of steel against steel, flesh against flesh, explosions of fire spells, and war cries deafened all those fighting and often orders from the leaders of both sides were unheard. And during all of that time the lightning strikes flashed with a strobe-light effect making reliance on visual cues extremely difficult.

* * *

At the rear of the demonic horde fighting Daneel's army and standing on a hilltop overlooking the battle below, Okus crossed his arms over his chest and frowned with a mind clouded with doubt. Through this thing called the Force he could sense the beings Sargeras had ordered him to destroy. Two hid in the north with those accursed druids in the Wildlands, but the strongest of them came from the west. He had split his army with the bulk heading west with him at their lead. A vanguard of fifteen hundred scouted the barren landscape while he marched more slowly towards his quarry. When news arrived that the enemy had been found, Okus quickened the pace of his army. What he discovered was more than he anticipated, however, for the jedi were not alone. The three he sensed had split amongst their allies into three columns. While the vanguard whittled at the weaker group to the south, he ordered the remainder of his army to invade the space between the two northern columns with concentration on the middle. If he were leading the other army that was where he would be, and he assumed the leader of these jedi would do the same. He had also sent messengers to catch the other four thousand he had sent to the north. The jedi he sensed there were weaker than these three, and he wanted all of his might stacked against their leader. If Sargeras was concerned with this one man then it behooved Okus to share that concern. However, the battle below ensued too quickly and as he watched from his short distance he began to fully realize the demon lord's worry…the jedi were beginning to win this conflict. Despite that they outnumbered their foe by almost twelve to one; the demons were falling to the jedi and their allies in greater numbers. Worse was that he just received word that the other jedi with the druids had started marching his direction and his rear guard were now also engaged with the enemy and with them many dragons…he was surrounded. This had not been his plan nor had he anticipated the temerity of these natives aligned with the jedi. The world was at war and their attentions elsewhere, so how did they gather such an army and with this caliber of martial might? The presence of the dragons especially worried the eredar for with them allied with the jedi meant that his numeric superiority vanished. With a heavy sigh, he resigned himself to only one resolution that would win this battle. He would face the leader of these jedi himself. Kill the strongest amongst them and the rest would falter including the dragons. Okus uncrossed his arms and with his right hand grabbed the hilt of his weapon. He searched the valley with the Force until he felt the strongest in it near the middle. That was the lead jedi and the one he needed to kill.

* * *

Olivaw crouched near a large boulder with Shandris to his right. A few yards behind them Kai'moira tended to a deep cut on Cheyuun's left shoulder. After their initial encounter, the bulk of the army they ran into moved quickly to the north and the middle column led by Daneel, Demira, and Tyrande. Shandris ordered their forces to pursue the demons, but soon afterwards they were assaulted by several hundred of the flying eredar. Infernals rained down on their ranks decimating their numbers. Kai'moira was finally able to repel these last demons with the Force as she caught them in midair and hurled them back at the demonic horde. Some eredar she grabbed with the invisible hand of the Force and crashed them into one another, but soon there were too many for the jedi master to control, and Olivaw ordered the remnants of their column to seek shelter amongst a rocky hill about a half mile to their south. It was at this place where they watched the bulk of the forces aligned against them shift their attention to the north and towards the jedi grand master's column. The terrain between them and the army was strewn with the bodies of demons mixed with trolls, tauren, draenei, and night elves.

The smuggler checked the charges on his blasters and threw one to the ground in disgust. "That one's useless," he muttered. "And this other one only has a few rounds left in it. I wasted too many shots on those fire beasts."

"They are infernals," Shandris stated as she dropped her empty quiver to her side and secured her bow to her back. "Constructs of flame and earth and very little can stop them."

Olivaw reached into his pack and pulled out two more blasters and read the charges on them. "At least I have these for back-up, but after that all I have left are harsh words." He looked over to Shandris. "How many survivors?"

"Too few," Kai'moira answered from where she finished with the tauren's wound. He nodded his thanks to her as she looked over to the smuggler. "Thirty…maybe forty…I don't know for certain. Those flying demons took a heavy toll."

"We could use the dragons right about now…their presence could change the tide of this battle," Shandris added. "In the first war their kind was vital to our success in repelling the Legion near the base of Mt. Hyjal despite Deathwing's betrayal."

Olivaw looked back at the jedi master, but she only shook her head. "I already tried…still too much interference to get a signal to anyone. And we also lost all of the druids. The demons seemed to target them specifically."

The smugglers eyes moved to Shandris. "Why would that be? There's no way they could know we depended on them for communication."

"I do not know, Ollie," she replied. "Perhaps their leader has a personal grudge against the druids…perhaps it is some sort of revenge against Malfurion…seeking those who believe and behave as he does. It was Malfurion who brought us victory in the first war when he closed the portal and destroyed the Well of Eternity with my Lady Tyrande and his brother, the Betrayer….and in the second…"

"None of that really matters at the present time," Kai'moira interjected. "What matters is that now they seem to concentrate on Daneel's position."

"Going after the leader would be my guess," the zabrak stated as he looked back towards the demonic army. "Basic military tactic…after taking out comms…remove the leadership."

"What if your friend is right…and it is something more?" Shandris offered. "Malfurion was targeted by Sargeras during the first war because he saw the Archdruid as a threat. What if he sees your friend in the same light?"

"Daneel did have a vision where he stood before the portal to the demon's realm and could sense Sargeras," Kai'moira added. "That vision could have gone both ways…they both saw the same thing. Sargeras is targeting Daneel in an attempt to avoid a similar outcome."

Olivaw's eyes widened as he looked back at them, and then back at the army. "You know…that gives me an idea."

"What?" the women asked together.

"They're ignoring us right now…and if what you say is correct…" He looked back at them with a smile.

"You're suggesting we find the portal and destroy it," the jedi stated rolling her eyes. "That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say." Shandris, however, was not as disinclined to the smuggler's idea as a smile crossed her lips. "Not you too?" Kai'moira said as she brought her hand to her forehead and looked at the ground. "We're going into the Coven…aren't we?"

"It wasn't part of the vision…was it?" Olivaw replied with a grin. "No one will expect it…least of all this Sargeras character."

"Damn fool," Kai'moira muttered. "I knew you were going to say that."

"Who's the more foolish…the _fool_ or the _fool_ who follows him?" The smuggler laughed back at her.

* * *

Kitali clutched a totem in her left hand as lightning sprouted before her right and into a group of ered'ruin and felhounds. Standing back-to-back to his wife was Zharn as he called forth gale force winds that kept the flying demons grounded. The dragons, however, were not affected by the winds of the shaman as they strafed the opposition spewing fire from the reds, poison and nightmares from the greens, and molten rock from Kuro. After Zharn had given the order upon Illiana's revelations, the druids and shamans they had gathered actually mustered in pursuit of the demons in less than fifteen minutes. The dragons hindered the progress of the Legion almost immediately and now as the jedi and their allies battled they seemed to rout the demonic forces. This, however, was misleading as they were determined to join the forces of Okus in assaulting Daneel's forces. Their progress was slow, but they were making progress. The dragons concentrated on the front lines while the shamans and druids harassed the rear. Illiana had made her way towards the middle with twenty feral druids, and as they slew demon after demon a hole formed at the center.

Adaria fought with this group near the center not far from where Illiana danced in a cacophony of black and red as demon after demon fell to the blade of her father's lightsaber. After the first dozen had fallen to her claws and fangs, Adaria transformed into her natural form as the gaps in the enemy ranks grew wider and she examined the mayhem around her. Druids in saber and bear forms continued to maul and maim their foes, but she thought this fight too simplistic…too easy. Surveying the movements of the enemy, she soon realized what bothered her. The demons in their vicinity concentrated on the elven jedi while the rest continued westward. Where the druids had to chase down their opponents, Illiana was surrounded by them. Her crimson blade slashed and whirled felling one after another, but still the demons were unrelenting in attacking the woman.

"Protect the jedi," she shouted to the druids around her while pointing towards Illiana fighting her enemies. "They are ignoring us and focusing on her…we must protect her!"

Several of the druids nodded their understanding and moved towards the jedi. Others simply continued their onslaught of the demons, but now moving more in the jedi's direction. They understood but were too occupied to directly respond to Adaria. She prepared to join them, and as she started to lower her body to transform into a saber, she spotted a flying demon approaching the jedi. Somehow one had defied the winds of the shamans at the rear and evaded the dragons, and now it started a strafing run towards Illiana who was concentrating on an eredar. Adaria stood and reached into her pouch, but felt nothing inside. She used all of the seeds she had prepared before leaving Karnum's Glade. The night elf had to do something before the demon reached the jedi. Without thinking and almost instinctively, the kaldorei stretched out her left arm and through her own willpower gripped the demon with an invisible hand and slung it to the ground. It landed face down in a dust cloud ten feet in front of her, and she leapt at it while drawing her daggers from their sheaths. She landed on its back and drove the points of her blades into the base of its horned skull. Another demon approached from her left, and again without thinking she rolled off her fallen foe and lunged at the newest attacker. Her left dagger plunged into the abdomen of the ered'ruin as she brought the right up into the bottom of its chin. Before it fell dead to the ground she had withdrawn her weapons and leapt at another close by. Like the sentinel of old, Adaria threw herself into the thick of the battle near the jedi slaying one demon after another. She should have been exhausted, but by the time she neared Illiana the kaldorei felt invigorated with energy reserves to spare. Not a scratch marred her skin as she could almost see where each opponent was about to move, and she arrived each time at the exact moment to inflict a killing blow with an ease she never imagined possible. When she met the jedi they were standing alone with several druids and a pile of bodies. The bulk of the demonic horde continued to march further away from them and closer to where Illiana had seen the jedi army led by Daneel in her vision. Both women watched the rear of the army, and then the jedi looked at the druid holding ichor stained daggers in each hand.

"You fight like she does," one of the druids said to Adaria after changing from bear form to his normal tauren. "I could not follow your movements …you were a blur…and leaping tens of yards in a single bound."

"What do you mean?" she asked finally looking away from the receding horde.

"The Force flows through you, Adaria," Illiana said at her side. "Not until just moments ago have I felt it this strongly in you."

"It's not the Force," she denied. "I just started fighting like I did when I was a sentinel under Shandris' command. I did nothing different just now than I did back then before becoming a druid."

"And the demon you pulled from the sky…how did you do that?" another druid asked…this one a night elf. He pointed at Illiana. "Only her kind have we seen do that."

"I…"Adaria hesitated. She had become so lost in the battle that she almost forgot that moment. The former sentinel turned druid looked over to a smiling Illiana. "I…don't know. I saw it flying towards you and then I…I…"

"You used the Force," the jedi knowingly responded. "Somehow…I think you have always had this ability but no one knew what it was until now. Your concentration as a druid only masked your true potential….your sensitivity to the Force, Adaria." She reached over and grasped the night elf's shoulder. "But of this I have no doubt…the Force is strong in you, I can feel it…and you have the makings to become a powerful jedi…if you want it."

"WH-what should I do?" she asked as she remembered what Malfurion had told her in the Emerald Dream. _"I feel you should continue to live by their code, Adaria. I will explain more once the crisis with the Burning Legion is resolved, but I suspect there is more in your future than you realize." _Was this what he meant? Did Shan'do already know of her true nature?

Illiana looked back to the demons. "We continue onward with the fight. You…you have tapped into something that will change your life forever. Open yourself to it…embrace it…allow it to flow through you as you just did moments ago. If you can do that…then when we reach Daneel you will _know_ what your future holds for you." The jedi looked up into the sky at the dragons flying overhead. "Kuro!" she shouted hoping the black was up there close. Lightning strikes provided the only illumination, but even with that Kuro was difficult to almost near impossible to see. "Kuro," she shouted again. "I have a plan!"

* * *

Tyrande swung her glaive at the neck of an eredar that lurched at her right flank. Ichor showered her as the blade sliced through the demon's jugular. About ten feet to her left, Demira fought off an ered'ruin with her green bladed lightsaber in one hand and fire spewing from the other into yet another eredar. The quel'dorei amazed the High Priestess with her prowess with the jedi weapon since she knew Demira was not trained like her husband. She was not so fast with the blade to appear as a blur as the other jedi, but like her husband she fought with poise and grace that belied the fact that at her core she was a mage trained and used to the art of spellcasting. But where Demira amazed her, Daneel was a force unimaginable to Tyrande. The jedi master was a blur of gray robes, white hair, and green blade. The High Priestess knew where Daneel was by following the trail of demon bodies he left in his wake. But also as impressive was his ability to cast balls and waves of energy before him striking numerous demons at one time. The air was electric as it churned before his offhand to form these attacks she had seen only from him. No mage, no paladin, no druid, no shaman, no one in her lifetime spanning thousands of years fought like this man. Hundreds of demons fell before him and yet he did not tire as he continued to fight. Tyrande, as she assumed did he, noticed from the onset that their foes concentrated on the jedi master. The enemy knew of his presence and focused on trying to remove him from the battle which resulted in their doom, but she also knew that even the miraluka wasn't invincible. Eventually their numbers would overwhelm even him if something did not change in the course of this battle and soon. However, as it progressed she lost sight of Daneel amongst the demons attacking them. Demira stayed close to her as did a contingent of orcs and draenei forming a protective ring around the kaldorei leader. Troll and kaldorei druids scampered around them in various animal forms creating another perimeter for the High Priestess' defenses. At some point bodies of demons rained down around them drawing a chuckle from the mage.

"What's so funny?" Tyrande asked just after killing a felhound with her glaive.

"Those bodies came from my husband," Demira answered as she lit an ered'ruin ablaze. "They must have gotten too close and he repulsed them. I've seen him do that with inanimate objects, but demons can be thrown just as easily."

Tyrande caught a glimpse of the mage's face during a lightning strike and saw that although the woman laughed there was no mirth in her eyes. "Is that a good sign or a bad one?" she asked.

"Only he knows the answer to that question," the high elf answered. "I hope it's a good sign…I pray that it's a good sign." Tyrande whispered her own prayer to Elune at that moment with the jedi's wife.

* * *

Grogg made the final adjustments on the last of the green globules in Raeva's body. As the rest of the incarnations of himself finished their search for more of the mutated cells, he felt relieved that he was able to save a friend, a colleague, and the mother of his closest friend. Now in his only form left in her body as the cell returned to normal, the padawan prepared to exit and end his meditative trance. Suddenly he found himself on the battlefield amongst the jedi army. Bodies littered the ground…bodies of draenei, orcs, tauren, trolls, night elves…and ahead of him he saw her facing a hideous green skinned man the size of a human wearing simple black robes. Black orbs occupied the sockets where his eyes belonged, and at his right side in the opening stance of the Ataru form was the orange glowing blade of a lightsaber. Celeste held her saberstaff before her with both hands in a Soresu form poised to strike. Suddenly another moved. It was fast…much too fast…and before the small human could react a foul curved steel blade appeared from nowhere…points along the edge shredded her flesh…the point emerging from her chest as she cried out in agony. Grogg stood speechless as he watched the felguard slide the blade further into her body to the hilt and then lift her from the ground. She dropped the saberstaff as her screams pounded in the orc's skull. The green skinned man laughed as he relished her pain and anguish until she fell limp on the blade that impaled her.

Grogg cried out as his eyes opened and he was back in the shelter at Karnum's Glade. Breathless, he reached out through the Force to find her. There…in the distance…he sensed her…sensed her alive and struggling. The Force had given him a vision, but one of a possible future. She would face that man, but she would never see the felguard come from behind…see the one intent on killing her for its master. Grogg stood and ran out of the shelter looking for any dragon, but there were none. Few remained behind as only a handful of druids walked the perimeter of the compound. He swallowed hard trying to think…he had to get to the battle to save her. He knew what was about to happen and he couldn't let it happen…not to her. He turned to his right and almost tripped over a small object.

"Hey! Watch where you're walking!" a childlike voice said below him. He looked down to see a welcome sight. Windi Weathergear stood with her hands on her hips and tapping her right foot. "I swear…you tall people will be the death of me."

"Windi! Where did you come from?"

She cocked her head to the side as she looked up at the face of the orc. "Just got here…with a few friends," she said as pointed with her right hand behind her. Grogg looked up to see twenty gnomes tethering an airship to some of the structures. Several more flew around in propeller lifted contraptions while about ten more of those were scattered on the ground under the airship. "Where is everyone? Has the fight already started?" She asked causing him to look back at her. "Don't tell me we got here too late." The orc kneeled down and kissed the gnome. When he leaned back she wiped her face with her hands. "Slobbery," she said.

"Windi…I desperately need your help."

"What ya need?" she asked as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and continued wiping her face with it.

"Can you take me on one of those flying machines and get me to the battle? I have to get there really fast."

"Sure," she answered and then looked back over her shoulder. "Hey…Fizzlecrank…my friend here needs a lift."

One of the gnomes near a landed machine looked up. "He's large…but I think we can get him there. Come on over, big fella, and I can get you where you need to go."

"Thanks, Windi. You're a lifesaver…and I mean that literally," Grogg said and then kissed her again before running over to climb aboard the flying machine. "Do me another favor and watch over Raeva for me. She's in the shelter asleep but should wake up soon." Eddard Fizzlecrank had already hopped on and started the propellers when Grogg climbed into a seat a little too small for his stature, but in his mind he wasn't concerned with his comfort or his safety. He had to get to Celeste as soon as possible. Within another minute they were flying over the compound and into the distance while behind on the ground Windi was still wiping her face.

"He's almost as bad a kisser as Zharn is," she said with a smile as she placed the hankie back in her pocket. "But you gotta love 'em both…the big lugs."

* * *

Veira's hammer had just connected with the shoulder of a felguard and slid into its neck smashing the vertebrae when something collided with her knocking her to the ground. The impact was so severe that she uncharacteristically dropped her hammer as she fell to her side on the ground alongside the felguard she had just slain. Pushing with her left hand, she rolled onto her side to see what had struck her, and her eyes widened. Standing in the exact place she just occupied was Lokar with a grisly-looking sword sticking through his stomach and exiting his back. In his outstretched right hand she saw where he had buried an axe into the head of an ered'ruin. The orc relaxed his grip and his arm dropped as the dead demon fell to the ground, and Veira rushed to catch him as his legs began to falter. She caught him while still on her knees and cradled him in her lap as she sat on the ground. She wished at that moment that she could heal his wound, but it was beyond anyone's capabilities. He looked up at her face with soft brown eyes as he weakly tried to smile.

"I have to find you a healer," was all she could think of to say. Her eyes searched the area around them, but their allies all fought with demons. Smoke rose from somewhere on the battlefield into the dark sky. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Don't bother," he labored to say. "We both know it's a mortal wound."

His body was growing cold in her arms as she looked back down at him. "Why?" she asked. This orc had done something she never expected. Orcs warred with her people to brink of their extinction. Sure, times had changed and during the last conflict with the Burning Legion they were allies, but she personally knew of not one single orc that would sacrifice themselves for a draenei. Someone like Thrall, perhaps, but if there were more like him they were extremely few in number. Yet at this moment and dying in her arms was such an orc and he had saved her at the cost of his own life. Thoughts and questions raced through her mind and yet she asked the only thing that instantly came to her. More tears welled in her eyes and confusion mixed with sorrow settled in her heart as she struggled to come to terms with Lokar's sacrifice. "Why?" she whispered again.

"For you and your daughter…the one married to an orc," he rasped with a violent cough. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth and his labored breathing was hindered with the blood collecting in his throat. "Promise me…promise me you will make…make peace with her. No parent and child…should quarrel over anything that…drives them to never speak to each other again. Promise me…you will talk to her again…find a way…to reconcile…" He coughed up more blood before looking back up at the dark sky as his eyes grew vacant. "Don't make…the same mistake I did…don't regret not speaking to her when it's too late…don't wait until it's too late to say you are sorry…" His body went limp in her arms. "I…am…sorry…Drakbheth…" With his last look and breath he said directly to Veira, "Aka'Magosh…my friend."

For what seemed like hours she held the body of Lokar in her arms. Those fighting around them seemed to ignore the draenei holding the orc as she pondered his last words. Drakbheth must have been his child, but she also remembered that he said he had no family left when they first met on the beach. All of his family had perished in the last war with the Burning Legion. Tears continued to run down her cheeks as she finally reached up with her free hand and closed his vacant eyes. Wherever Kitali was on the battlefield she would find her. The last words of Lokar would haunt her until she spoke with her daughter.


	16. The Light at the End of the Tunnel

**_Part Sixteen: The Light at the End of the Tunnel_**

"There is no emotion, there is peace," he said to himself as he rode alongside the gnome in the flying machine towards the battlefield. Try as he might Grogg could not rid his mind of the image of Celeste impaled on the sword of a demon. His pilot began to descend when they arrived at the first site where their forces battled the demons, but the orc demanded they continue west. This was not the same battlefield where Celeste was fighting. Fizzlecrank protested only a little as fierce winds buffeted their craft and threatened to crash them regardless of their desire to proceed onward. Two more times they almost collided with dragons who were strafing the demonic horde as it marched westward. The darkness of the sky made it almost impossible to see where they were going and the frequent lighting strikes electrified the winds which created a lot of turbulence. For Grogg the ride was anything but smooth and only exacerbated his already anxious condition. The only thing they could use for navigation was the trail of lights and explosions in the distance. The padawan was certain it was there he would find the woman he intended to save.

"Grogg!"

The orc looked around to see where the voice came from, but the darkness of the sky and the sound of the propellers made pinpointing the source impossible. However, someone or something else was up here with them.

"Grogg!"

"Who is that?" he yelled out. The gnome looked over wearing overlarge goggles and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's me…Illiana," the voice shouted back. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be healing my mother?"

"Illiana? Where are you?"

"She's with me," said a guttural sound like from a large animal. "It's Kuro. We're flying to Daneel's army. We think the demons are targeting jedi and most likely him specifically."

"How's Mother?" Illiana asked.

"Where are you?" the orc shouted. A quick lightning flash gave him the answer as he saw they were surrounded by the great leviathans. "How many of you are there?"

"All of us that came here," Kuro replied. "This army below moves towards the other that engaged Daneel. That is where we think the fighting must be the worst…Illiana saw this using Force Sight."

"Grogg…how's Mother?"

"She's fine, Illiana," he finally answered his fellow padawan. "I found the source of her ailment and cured it. She's at the Glade resting…she'll be back to normal in a few hours." He paused as the gnome banked hard right to avoid a fireball launched from the ground. "I think they figured out we're up here," he shouted to Fizzlecrank.

"Too late to worry about it now," the gnome answered as he straightened out their craft.

"Grogg…how did you get out here? Is that a gnome flying that thing?" the elven jedi shouted.

"Yes…and there are more back at the Glade. Windi is leading them, I think," the orc replied. "They have about twenty of these and one of those larger airships." There was silence for a few seconds "Illiana?"

"I have an idea," she finally answered. "Hey…Kit!" Grogg didn't hear the answer but he knew now that apparently all of the dragons carried passengers. One for certain was Kitali and usually where she was close by so too was Zharn. "Grogg…keep heading to the other battle…Kuro and I are going back to the Glade and get the gnomes. We might need all of the air power we can get."

"I can't go back…Celeste is in danger and I have to save her," he yelled back.

"We're all in danger, Grogg," was the reply.

"You don't understand…I saw it in a vision just after I finished healing your mother…I have to get to her before what I saw comes true." Silence followed. "I don't care if you believe me or not…I have to get to her."

"We believe you, Grogg," came the familiar voice of Zharn. "Illiana has already turned around and headed back to the Glade. Alexstrasza and I will lead the way, brother. Just follow us."

"Thank you," Grogg said. "I owe you more than you know."

"Thank us when this is over and she's safe. And trust me, I know exactly how you feel," the shaman answered.

* * *

A thundering, rhythmic boom resounded in her ears. Her entire body felt stiff and sore as she tried to move her arms. Her back was on fire, and with all of this she didn't have the energy to scream. Raeva willed her eyes to open, and at first all she saw was a big gray blur. She closed her eyes and then opened them again trying to focus on anything. The grayness had lightened just a little and she thought she could see a shape…ovoid…or two ovals…she couldn't determine which. The rhythmic boom changed to a deafening roar that pounded in her skull. She wanted to cover her ears, but still her arms would not move. Her eyes continued to try and focus on the blurry shape that somehow now looked like the silhouette of a person. Was the roar from them? She wanted to yell for them to stop, but all she could manage was a feeble squeak. She thought back to the last thing she could remember. There was a figure in dark robes somewhere in a desolate area. The trees were barren and lifeless and no vegetation grew from the ground. The figure…it moved towards her holding something in its hand…something familiar. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on what the strange being held. The memory was hazy, but the object had a color that was different somehow. She moved to counter it with a similar object in her hand. What was it? Had she been in a fight and lost…been captured? Were the roar and the pain in her body part of its torture? She couldn't remember. She opened her eyes once more to see color with the shape. It was definitely a person, but not the one from her memory. She was certain that being wore black or dark gray robes, but this figure was brightly colored in reds…or oranges…and then she remembered. The being from her memory held a lightsaber with an orange blade, but there was something different about it than just the color of the beam. The roaring returned, but not as painful as before or quite as loud. The pounding in her head did not return this time. Was the person with her now speaking to her? She remembered that she needed to tell someone…something…but the details were still hazy. Was it about the difference in the lightsaber or the person wielding it? Why couldn't she remember? She closed her eyes again harder this time trying to focus her mind on the visage of the person in dark robes.

"Mother?" the person said.

She understood the words this time and opened her eyes to now see the blurry shapes of not one but two people in the room. One stood almost to the waist of the other. The shorter one wore something red while the taller one wore black. Not the one from her memory but closer personally. Who? It was her daughter. Raeva suddenly remembered it was the voice of her only child. She wanted to yell out to her…raise her arm to touch her, but still her body would not cooperate.

"Mother…can you hear me? It's Illiana…your daughter," she said.

"Master Jedi…the gnomes await your instructions. Should they fly to the west?" the other person said.

"No," that was her daughter. "Tell them to wait a few more minutes and then we will fly to the Coven in the south."

"Why there?" the other asked.

Coven…Coven…Raeva knew that name meant something…something that was related to the dark robed figure…what was it?

"The other dragons will reach Daneel, retrieve him, and head south to look for the demon's portal…" that was another person Raeva could not see. "If we can destroy it then the battle will end. They cannot replenish their numbers without that portal."

"Makes sense to me," the shorter person responded. "I'll go tell the others."

Demons…the Coven…a portal…the dark robed figure…things that _should_ fit like pieces to a puzzle swirled before her mind's eye. What was the connection? She knew it…somehow she knew it and that missing part was the key to what she needed to tell the others. What was it? Her mind strained trying to focus on the dark figure…focus on its face.

"Illiana…we need to head out soon. Your mother appears fine and Grogg said he healed her wounds. Even the scarring on her back looks much better than before." That was the person she could not see.

"You're right, Kuro," her daughter answered. "I'll just have to catch her up to speed when we defeat this army and the person leading it. I know it's not Sargeras or there would be more than what we've seen and he would have already made his presence known."

The leader…that was it! Raeva could see the face now…she remembered everything. The green skin with tendrils and black orbs for eyes. Sith and yet not sith. It was a demon that possessed both the powers of the Force and of the fel energies those foul creatures used. She had to tell them…their enemy was familiar with the darkest of both and knew how to use them! She faced it and lost as it struck her from behind with Force lighting so corrupted and evil that as soon as she fell she could feel it changing her…mutating her…into what she did not know but she remembered now what was important…more than her failure in that duel with the dark robed figure. Not the identity of the leader but what the he was planning. She had to warn them! Sargeras _was_ coming!

* * *

Okus shielded his eyes from the brightness looming ahead of him not more than two hundreds away. Even at this distance he could feel the energy on the skin of his arms. The man he sought stood with both hands before him and wearing gray robes. The jedi's white hair billowing as waves emanating from a massive ball of energy formed in front of the man. Okus watched as over a hundred demons scrambled and climbed over each other to escape the jedi's power that now was at least thirty feet in diameter. The eredar in a sith body could only stare in awe at the raw power his foe commanded. No wonder Sargeras wanted this man destroyed. Not that he could harm the demon lord, but he could wreak havoc on their plans if he survived this day. The jedi pushed forward with his arms and propelled the ball of energy towards the demons. Okus fell to his knees as he watched it strike his army and instantly turned those it touched into ash. His heart pounded in fear at what he had just witnessed. Over a hundred disintegrated within the blink of an eye by the time the ball dissipated and darkness returned to the valley. This was the kind of being the sith feared when they accepted Sargeras' deal. This is the power that his lord wanted removed from this world before he crossed over. How was he supposed to accomplish this task? But he had to try. To fall to the jedi meant death, but to return to Sargeras in failure was a fate worse than death. His hand gripped the hilt of the sith weapon tighter as Okus steeled his nerves, but before he could rise three dragons landed near the jedi. They spoke to him briefly and then he climbed atop one and they flew off into the darkness.

"You must be the leader," he heard a female voice say behind him. Still on his knees he turned his head to see a human woman wielding one of the jedi weapons with two violet blades. The power he sensed from her matched that of the man who had just left with the dragons. "Call off your forces at once!" she demanded.

Okus turned to stand and face the woman. She was shorter than him by at least half a foot. He took a deep breath as he held the weapon to his side in his right hand and activated the blade. Could he match her? In his mind he recalled everything the sith knew…powers and abilities…combat techniques…anything that could give him an edge against this jedi standing before him now. A feral smile crossed his lips as he realized that this being had been a master of their weapons and all of the fighting skills associated with them. It had been unmatched in combat. Okus now instantly knew from this body the forms of Ataru, Shien, Soresu, Shii-Cho, Makashi, Juyo, Niman, and he was a master of them all. That was the edge he needed against this woman. He moved his feet into the opening stance of the Ataru form. She crouched and held her weapon in both hands in the opening stance of what he recognized as the Soresu form. Perhaps this would not be such an easy fight as he had hoped. But his eyes caught movement behind her. She was so concentrated on him that she did not sense the felguard stalking her from behind. He squared his shoulders and gave a slight nod to the demon. He would not have to fight this woman after all. A shame, really, since he now knew these forms he actually wanted to test them, but there were at least three other jedi besides this one and their leader. He would have ample opportunity against them. His smile widened as the felguard raised its sword, one with a curved blade almost as long as the puny woman was tall and with barbs along the edge designed to rend flesh. Her death would be gruesome, but appetizing. Just as the demon poised to strike, a yell came from the sky, and Okus looked up to see an orc falling towards the felguard with a blue bladed weapon in his hand. He jumped back as the woman dropped and rolled to her side. The orc landed in a crouch kicking up dust from the impact. The blade of his weapon was buried in the ground. The felguard's two halves fell to each side as the orc stood and turned to face Okus.

"Grogg?" the woman said kneeling on one knee holding her weapon behind her.

"The Force granted me a vision," he said calmly as his gaze bore into Okus. He held his blue bladed weapon towards the eredar and smiled. "This one, I think, demands your _personal_ attention." Okus's eyes darted from the human to the orc. "I'll make certain there will be no others that interfere with his…_lesson_." Now the orc turned his head and smiled at the woman. "Like the one you gave Master Dorak."

The human stood and faced Okus. "Thank you, padawan," she said to the orc without taking her eyes off the eredar. "Afterwards…you and I need to have a little talk."

"I'm looking forward to it…my love," he said as he turned away from the demon leader.

This time the human did look at the orc. "What did you just say?"

"We can talk about it more when we're alone. His eyes…they creep me out…don't want to get personal in front of him," the orc chuckled. "Let's just say I remember what you said back home…and here I am…safe and sound…just like you wanted."

"And you better stay that way…hon," she said to him with a smile. She looked back at Okus who was bewildered by their exchange. "Don't worry…this won't take long." Okus watched the smile leave her face as the orc walked away to find more of his demons to kill. "Now…where were we?" she spoke at him.

* * *

While Adaria joined the other druids, shamans, dragons, and the lone jedi, Aeyrn remained behind at Karnum's Glade in charge of the defenses and twelve other druids that were charged with keeping the compound safe for any wounded that might return. The arrival of the gnomes was quite the surprise albeit a welcome one since they brought with them flying machines and a large airship. Some demons could fly, and although the red and green dragon flights had thrown their lot in with the jedi and their allies, more air power couldn't hurt their chances at victory over the Burning Legion and these gnomes appeared to be experienced combat pilots. The kaldorei was patrolling the perimeter in the form of a bear, and when he finished his round he discovered Illiana had returned with Kuro and a grand plan to possibly quicken the end of this conflict. He also learned at that time that Grogg had left to join the battle and Raeva was healed and recuperating. Before the gnomes untethered their airship, Aeyrn transferred his command to another druid, a tauren, and now sat near the bow of the ship in meditation as he attempted to enter the Emerald Dream. No one knew where the portal existed in Mannoroc Coven, and by entering the dream realm he hoped to finally have that answer as they flew into the region.

Aeyrn trained for this for the past thirty-four years and since the age of two. Adaria initially trained as a sentinel and then also their sister who was ten years younger, but while Adaria fought with him in the Firelands, their sister died in Outland. Something changed in his twin at that time and though she never told him why soon afterwards gave up her life as a sentinel and trained as a druid. That dual background was why she had gone with the rest of the army while he stayed behind to guard the Glade. He felt no jealousy of her, but now as he flew with the gnomes he worried about her. Adaria was more than capable both as a druid and a fighter, but the enemy they faced was historically unrelenting and their army could be easily overrun if the demons' numbers were too great. However, as his thoughts drifted to her and his worry grew, his ability to enter the Emerald Dream lessened. He needed to do this one thing if for no other reason than to end this conflict before it grew into something far more sinister. He calmed his breathing as he tried to relax as Shan'do had taught him.

"I began to wonder if you would succeed," he heard the Archdruid say to him. Aeyrn opened his eyes to find himself standing on the roadway that bordered Mannoroc Coven and in the Emerald Dream. Before him Malfurion smiled warmly. "Perhaps you might find the answers that are denied to me at present."

"Shan'do?"

"I have tried to enter the Coven since I spoke last to your sister, but the area is still blocked to me," Malfurion continued. "I hope all is well with her and the woman she protected?"

"The woman, Raeva, is alive and well. One of the jedi healed her," Aeyrn replied. "Adaria fights with the others against the Legion not far from here."

"Ah…with her own kind…that is a good thing, I think," Malfurion said as he crossed his arms and rubbed his chin.

Aeyrn looked at the Archdruid in confusion. "She is with many other druids both kaldorei and tauren. There are also dragons and shamans fighting alongside her as well."

"I meant with the jedi," Malfurion said as he turned and looked into the blackness of Mannoroc Coven. "You do not know this yet, young druid, but your sister is destined to walk a different path than yours…much like my own twin's differed from mine." He turned and looked back at Aeyrn. "This is difficult to explain, so it will be much easier to simply show you. Come, Aeyrn, and join me as we find your sister here in the Emerald Dream."

"But…there is no time…Shan'do, I mean no disrespect, but the army fights and we move around them to destroy the portal. I must find it so that we can end this war quickly and before it spreads further into Kalimdor."

"Time is relative in this realm as you are aware. What time we spend in this venture will be as only seconds or minutes in the physical world. This, however, is something I think you need to see to understand." With a nod Aeyrn followed his Shan'do as both floated over the landscape. Malfurion continued to teach as they approached the battlefield. "I watched one of the jedi…a human…and learned something about them. As you know life is full of energy. We ask of it every time we transform into animal form or heal another…we nurture it when we restore life to a region like the Cenarion Wildlands. But upon observing this human I discovered something I had never noticed in all my years and that is how those energies revolve around us."

"I don't understand, Shan'do," Aeyrn stated. "Doesn't it exist in us as it does all living things?"

Malfurion halted and faced the younger druid. "See that rock over there?" Aeyrn nodded. "Focus on it…the energies of the rock and the few plants that still thrive around it. What do you see?"

"I see the rock and plants as they exist now in the physical world, but not as they should have been had we not interfered with the Titan's design."

"Look beyond the surface, Aeyrn. Look at what makes it a rock…what makes the plants living things…look deeper at the source of their existence."

Aeyrn strained his eyes as he followed his teacher's instruction. His brow furrowed as he concentrated until finally the rock became transparent as did the plants beside it and the ground beneath his feet. He gasped in wonderment as he saw the lines of energy flowing in each plant and down through its roots. But the energy did not stop there, but became a loop as it traversed from the ground into the roots and around through the stem and the leaves and petals before returning back to the ground through the roots. In the rock he could see tiny cycles along the surface and within where tiny lifeforms dwelled on and in the stone. Even the stone and ground, although at a lesser extent, had these lines of energy swirling if at a slower pace than those things he knew were alive. He witnessed the flow of life through the energies of it. He looked at his teacher with wide eyes.

"You see the energies, but that is only the beginning, my student. Now concentrate on the area around these things. It will be unnoticeable at first, but focus on a single spot in space."

Again Aeyrn tried to follow Malfurion's instructions. It seemed to take hours, but finally he saw them…lines of energy flowing in no discernable pattern in open air. He tried to follow some but they seemed to go nowhere. Finally he found one that led him back to the plant, and again he gasped. The plant was the source of this energy, but as he looked back at Malfurion he saw something beautiful. Like the plant, his Shan'do was a swirling mass of energies and like the plant he too faintly gave to the maelstrom of energies floating in open air and space. He looked down at his own hands and saw the same energies within him and also from his own body. With all things the energies flowed away from them and not back into them. The swirling energies in the open were the excess they never used or needed to survive.

"What you are seeing are the life energies given by all living things. This is what I believe the jedi call the Force. Now come with me and I will show you something amazing to behold. I now understand these jedi better, and I think you will as well," Malfurion said with a smile and pointed. "Ahead of us is one of them…a human woman." Aeyrn looked to where his teacher indicated to see Celeste frozen in mid-step as she faced a darker being that must be one of the demons. Energies flowed into it but not out…it sucked in life and never returned it like an abhorrent vacuum. "Notice that she glows from the energies of life, Aeyrn?"

"I see, Shan'do," the young druid answered. Malfurion floated closer to the woman and he followed. As he neared her he saw the same energies, but unlike him or Malfurion or the plants the energies not only flowed away from her but also into her like a conduit. He gaped at this woman he knew and then back at Malfurion. "It flows both ways with her."

"And that is the secret to these jedi and their connection to living energies…their _Force_ to use their word for it," the Archdruid replied. "It is the nature of how life energies interact with them that give them their power. They do not diminish it or add to it…they simply manipulate or transplace it," he said with a smile. "I have studied this phenomenon since I saw the one human sacrifice himself to save the rest. While he channeled this power and released it to destroy the demon army around him, energies were neither taken nor given, they were simply refocused into something else. And this energy is in everything…the rocks…the trees…the people…the land….the oceans…it is in everything and everywhere. Where we ask of nature for assistance and it provides us with these energies as it redirects for us sometimes at the cost of a life, these same energies act through the jedi in a way I have never witnessed before. They do not draw from life but rather from this swirling mass of energy that exists outside…and it is limitless."

"I think I understand, Shan'do. They are unique in their connection to these energies because they are in fact a part of them and not separate as you and I are."

"Precisely," Malfurion said. "It…this limitless field of energy…is as much a part of them as they are a part of it. A symbiosis that is truly marvelous. Now come with me to see your sister."

The two druids floated now higher into the sky and back towards Mannoroc Coven. In the distance Aeyrn spotted the dragons with riders. On one he saw the leader of the jedi, and like Celeste he glowed brightly with the energies of life flowing through him. However, there was another riding a dragon that he could not see clearly until they floated closer and then when he did recognize the rider he almost lost all concentration and his connection to the Emerald Dream. The rider was Adaria.

"I had always sensed there was something different about your sibling, Aeyrn," Malfurion said beside him. "It wasn't until I saw her again in this realm and after the human's sacrifice that I understood…she is like them and I believe her future lies with them. She, Aeyrn, is a jedi."

"How can this be?" was all the young druid could think to ask.

"That she is like this and you are not? That is a mystery to which I do not know if we will ever know the answer," the Archdruid replied. "But I take heart in knowing that these jedi serve a similar purpose as we…at least in ideals. Where we restore life to areas stripped of it…they seek balance as is the natural order. Methodologies vary, obviously, but their overall goal is the same as ours…to preserve and enhance life…and for that I see them now not only as friends but as colleagues." He looked at Aeyrn and smiled. "But now we must get the answer you came here seeking. We cannot enter the Coven for it is blocked to us, but I have watched the Legion as they left." Now they floated even higher and close to the edge of the blackened region. Malfurion pointed with both hands at the ground beneath them. "I watched both armies emerge from these two places. This one marched to the west while the other north to Karnum's Glade. Now, student, follow their lines inward through the darkness. Where they intersect…I believe…is where you will find the portal from whence they came. You must return to the physical realm and find this thing…find it and destroy it."

* * *

Olivaw crouched beside the trunk of a dead tree along the roadway that bordered Mannoroc Coven. A few trees to his left Shandris mirrored his posture while Cheyuun did the same to his right. Directly behind him knelt Kai'moira with thirty of their remaining troops scattered in the dead timber around them. The zabrak held a blaster in each hand with his trigger fingers fondling the sides of the barrels. On the other side of the roadway stood close to a hundred satyrs who were marching towards them and the battlefield Olivaw and his entourage had just left. To him these looked like twisted versions of Shandris' race, and the thought chilled him when Shandris told him what they really were…the worst kind of traitors. Demon worshippers who forsook their own kind for power and favor in the demon lord's eyes which reminded him of the spice runners he spaced years ago. Not only would his troops relish decimating these cretins, but he would also get some personal satisfaction in teaching these satyrs they chose the wrong side.

Kai'moira leaned up close to him and laid her chin on his shoulder. "So what's the plan now, hot shot?" she whispered. "Go in guns a blazin'?"

"That'd make me feel better," he whispered back. "I can't think of any worse kind of scum than those standing over there just asking to get shot."

"Well…I have an idea that just might make that a little easier," she said with a smile. His eyes snuck a peak at her as his brow furrowed. "Shandris said they have no other beings like me on this world….blue skin…red eyes…and that gives me an idea. Remember what the night elves said when they first found us?"

"They called us demons," he responded with a low growl in his throat.

"Exactly…and if they were once beings of this world…they might also take me as a demon…like a succubus but without wings." She leaned back and began to unbind the top to her robes.

"Just what are you doing?" he asked as he turned his head to watch her remove the top and then work on the lower robes. Fortunately she wore black lacy undergarments, but that still didn't help him understand her plan.

"If I'm going to pose as a succubus type of demon I have to look the part," she said as she slipped off her skirt. "Now you…don't get any funny ideas or I'll have to tell your little elven friend you've been a naughty boy."

"I doubt she considers me as such anymore…if she's still alive," the smuggler said as he turned back to watch the satyrs.

"She might surprise you," the jedi said as she knelt back beside the zabrak. "Wait until I have them all in the open before you attack…got it?"

He nodded and then looked over to Shandris who was watching them with a confused expression. He pointed to his eyes with two fingers and then at the satyrs. She nodded but her expression didn't change. He then made the same motions to Cheyuun. The tauren responded like Shandris, but if he was also confused Olivaw couldn't tell. He nodded to the chiss. Behind them the troops moved stealthily closer to the open roadway but still out of sight of the satyrs. Kai'moira slowly stood up without looking at anyone and sauntered nonchalantly onto the roadway. Once in the middle of the open she stopped and leaned to one side with her hands on her hips. Her black hair billowed in the wind as she raised her chin and stuck out her chest. The red of her eyes was only matched by the red cosmetics on her smiling lips.

"Boys," she purred at the satyrs. All turned at once and watched as she dropped her left arm to her side and with her right beckoned them with her finger. The black bra and thong hid very little of her slim athletic body. "I have new orders from our master."

The satyrs looked at each other, but none moved into the open. Olivaw's jaw clenched. The jedi's plan was not working and now standing in the open she was an easy target for the enemy. His hands tightened on the grips of the blasters as he slowly brought them up to aim at the nearest two demons. One false move and he would run out shooting. The jedi clasped her hands behind her back and with two fingers motioned to the smuggler as if she were reading his mind.

"Don't be shy, boys," she continued. "Our forces have routed the mortals…we just have some clean-up to do before we move on to the next phase."

"And just how are we supposed to believe that," one of the satyrs asked still obscured from a clean shot by the smuggler. "I do not recognize you as any demon I have ever encountered. How do we know this is not some kind of ploy?"

The jedi lowered her head as she sauntered closer to the other side. Olivaw cursed under his breath and was about to jump from under his cover when she surprised him. With a wave of her hand the satyr that spoke rose in the air and floated to stand just beside her.

"If you would prefer a more lethal demonstration that can be arranged as my patience is wearing thin, satyr," she said with a growl. "Shall I proceed with relaying our master's orders…or should I just slaughter you all and claim the glory for myself?"

"Awfully bold words from someone who appears to be a lowly succubus," another said a short distance away and still under a modicum of cover. "You may defeat one or two of us, but we number over a hundred. You stand no chance against all of us."

Kai'moira sighed as she reached out towards the offender and yanked back with her arm. The satyr flew over the roadside and the smuggler's band to crash into a tree somewhere behind them…thrown with the invisible hand of the Force. The sound of cracking bones reverberated though the barren region.

She looked at the one beside her and then at the others in hiding. "That's one…who wants to be number two?" she called out.

After a moment of silence and glaring from the chiss, the rest of the satyrs walked onto the roadway and open space. Ollie tensed as he looked over first to Cheyuun and then Shandris. Both watched the exchange between the jedi and the satyrs intently awaiting Kai'moira's signal. The thirty aligned with them, a mixture of kaldorei, draenei, orcs, trolls, and tauren, prepared to pounce at the slightest indication from the chiss woman. She looked so small next to the nine foot tall frames of the demons.

The one standing next to her spoke as it looked down on her. "Tell us…what are Okus' demands?"

"Just this…now, Ollie!" she yelled as she jumped over the satyr to land on the other side of the roadway across from where the smuggler and his band emerged from the dead trees.

Brandishing swords, axes, hammers, and Olivaw with blasters, they overran the surprised satyrs without a single casualty. The jedi reached out with her hand and through the air her lightsaber flew from where it rested with her pile of clothes to her waiting grip. With a snap/hiss the violet blade ignited just before she thrust it through the chest of an approaching satyr. Cheyuun eviscerated one satyr and then beheaded another with a single swing while Shandris downed three more with her sword. The smuggler swung his arms before him firing his blasters into a dozen satyrs huddled near the end. Blaster bolts tore through their bodies leaving gaping holes. Within minutes the group stood victorious over a hundred corpses littering the roadway. In the aftermath of the skirmish, a male night elf hunter walked up to Kai'moira with her clothes while she stood next to Olivaw, Shandris, and Cheyuun. She accepted the skirt and stepped into it. While fastening the binds to hold it up, she glowered at the smuggler.

"Get those thoughts out of your head, Ollie," she said bluntly. Then she looked at the rest of the males in their group. "That goes for the rest of you…no funny ideas…got it?" She reached over and took the top and looked up into the eyes of the night elf holding it. "That especially goes for you. Wipe that drool from the corner of your mouth before it puddles on the ground and you slip and fall."

She put on her top as she turned and walked into the Coven. The night elf just looked at the others while he wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand to the suppressed snickers of the rest of the group. A smiling Olivaw reached up and placed his hand on the hunter's shoulder. "She likes you," he said with a chuckle and then followed the jedi beside Shandris leaving the confused night elf staring after them.

"I'm surprised that actually worked," the Sentinel General said under her breath to the smuggler.

"So am I…it didn't the last time we tried a ruse like that."

"The last time?"

"Don't ask," he replied with a grin. "Let's just say I got shot in the leg and it hurt like hell. I told them I could be a pharmaceutical rep…but oh no, they said…be a patient, it's more believable. Damn doctors."

* * *

Celeste bounded back a few steps after her lightsaber clashed with that of the green skinned demon. He never spoke and she wasn't sure that he even could, but his mastery of the lightsaber forms surpassed even Master Dorak. She swung her blade before her like a saw as she advanced with each step, and each time he deflected her attack. Ataru, Soresu, Niman, and any form she attempted he countered perfectly. He looked like a sith according to all of the holo images she had seen, but he did not feel natural through the Force. She sidestepped for another round when he countered with a swing to her midsection. The saberstaff tilted in her hands to block his attack, and at the last second he raised the blade slicing through the hilt and destroying the crystal of the lower blade. In shock she leapt back several feet and held the remaining half of her weapon in her right hand.

"You're advantage is gone, little one," the man scoffed at her. "Now you will meet your end."

"So you can talk," she countered as she circled him to her right. "And here I thought you might be a mindless demon like all of the rest."

"Brave talk from a small human with only one blade left in her hand," he growled. "Soon our master will walk the surface of this world and everything in his path will turn to ash. Be grateful you will not live to see that glorious moment. And I…his right hand…will make certain that neither you nor any of your kind will remain to see that day. I am a master of all seven forms of your combat with these weapons. You are doomed." Celeste stopped and relaxed her shoulders causing Okus to pause. A wry smile crossed her lips as she twirled the lightsaber in her hand. "Are you so eager to meet your end that you find this amusing?"

"All seven forms?" she asked with mirth in her tone. "I guess it's time to show you something you don't know. Let's find out how effective your master is without a right hand."

She pounced to leap at him, and instinctively he raised his blade to block a high attack, but much like she had against Dorak in Northrend Celeste dropped into a roll and lunged in the end at his stomach. On the defensive this time it was Okus who leapt back, but only with enough space to block her next move which was a wide swing from her low position to one aimed at his neck. He sidestepped just a bit too late and the tip of her blade connected with his shoulder causing him the cry out in pain. Dropping low again she swung at his legs, and he jumped over the blade and missed by millimeters as she continued in her spin and brought the lightsaber higher towards his midsection. Okus sidestepped into his own spin, but the tip of her blade sliced through his black robes scorching the green skin beneath. At the end of his spin he reached out and green lightning sprung from his fingertips to where he thought she would be, but instead the bolts connected only with dirt that showered the air upon impact. Unsure of where the woman was, he spun around holding his lightsaber in a defensive posture but never expected to see the swirling blade come at him without a hand attached to it. The violet energy cut through his right arm and the hilt of his weapon, and he watched it continue in an arc away from him and to the outstretched hand of the woman standing some fifteen feet away. She deftly caught the weapon by the hilt and brought it down to her right side while looking upon him as he fell to his knees. The remains of his lightsaber fused with his left hand, and he looked up at her in shock.

"It's not too late for you…embrace the light and find peace," she said to him in a calm voice.

"Peace is a lie!" he spat at her. "There is no light…only the darkness that will come and devour this world…_that_ I promise you!"

Celeste raised her free hand before her, and Okus gaped as the air before her palm began to visibly spin in a vortex creating a ball of energy. It grew to a diameter of five feet when she spoke again. "I thought you might say that," she said to him. "Now feel that which you say does not exist."

With a push of her hand the energy ball rushed towards him. "Nooooooo!" he screamed as the telekinetic disturbance impacted his body. He felt his cells explode as the energy ripped through his physical existence…and then a blinding light overwhelmed him just as his essence was thrown into oblivion. Before Celeste all that remained of Okus was a pile of ash that blew in the wind. She shrugged her shoulders and turned around to continue with the struggle to save Azeroth.


End file.
